Prisoner
by Lotusinthedark
Summary: Harry and Ron aren't able to get Hermione out of the Manor. Dobby survives. Hermione learns the awful truth surrounding Draco and his family. She isn't the only one held hostage in Malfoy Manor. Can anyone survive in the end? Or would death be a welcome visitor? Please review! Rated M for violence, torture, language, and sexual themes. Draco Malfoy/Hermione Granger.
1. Chapter 1: Prisoner

Chapter 1: Prisoner

Hermione could feel herself shaking as she stood there, alone. Ron and Harry's screams behind her dug into her bones in a terrifying way. She wanted to run. There was no running, now, though. She wanted to cry. That wouldn't save her. Nothing could stop what was coming. Now was the time to be strong, to resist, and lie. If Bellatrix managed to get the truth out of her… then it was game over. Everything they'd gone through, all the things that they had done until now, would be meaningless.

Hermione forced herself to stop shaking, gritting her teeth and clenching her hands into fists. _Be brave, Hermione, remember that you chose Gryffindor! _

"Aw, look at that, the little Mudblood thinks that she is going to be strong," Bellatrix taunted softly, smiling as she circled Hermione slowly. That smile promised pain. "And just 'ow long do you believe you can hold your tongue, little girl?"

_Long enough._ Hermione prayed, eyes not leaving Bellatrix's as she stalked around in a predatory circle. The Malfoys were all standing there. Each of them came and went in her vision as Bella circled, and Hermione turned. Narcissa looked ill. She must know what was coming. It was a strange kind of relief to see that someone was upset by what was about to happen. Lucius looked cold and careless. Of course he did. Lucius would cast the spell himself in a heartbeat if he were given the opportunity. Draco would be the same. Bellatrix enjoyed torture too much to hand it over to either of them, though. Hermione heard Narcissa retch slightly.

"Are you certain you have the stomach for this, dear Cissy?" Bellatrix taunted over her shoulder, looking away from Hermione to meet her sister's gaze. In that moment, Hermione saw Draco. His pale skin was slightly green, eyes were shocked and horrified. His face betrayed no emotion. When he met her eyes for a brief moment, she saw pity. That must've been her crazed imagination. Draco wouldn't feel anything for what was about to happen to her now.

Hermione tensed as Bellatrix's wand raised. The next thing she knew, she was screaming. The witch was bellowing something at her. Hermione couldn't hear anything besides her own screams. How long? Would it ever end? She wanted it to stop. Miraculously, it vanished just for a moment. She went limp, sobbing in relief. Tears were flowing down her cheeks. Her lungs gasped for air- but the pain came back. Everything was fire- worse than fire- she wanted to burn away to nothing.

Bellatrix's laugh twisted in with her shouts. Hermione couldn't understand. The words felt too far away. Was she dying? The pain receded and someone slapped her face. Hermione felt her head turn hard against the ground. She must've fallen at some point. Her breathing was wrong. Was she breathing? Or sobbing? Or both? She felt the front of her shirt yanked up and was given a hard shake. "Answer me!"

Another hard slap across her face took her to the ground. Her hands fisted in front of her as she pushed herself up with trembling arms. There was nothing she would say.

There was nothing she could say, to be honest, even if she wanted to. Her voice had fled. _Stay silent, Hermione, don't tell her anything._ The whip of logical thought smacked through her entire body, through the pain, through the agony of that curse. It filled her with fire. She grit her teeth, glaring back at the vile witch with an intense hatred. Hermione would die before giving up anything useful to this awful woman.

Bellatrix appeared surprised for a moment. Then, a cruel smile lit her face as she backhanded her to the ground again. "I do _love_ it when they resist," Bellatrix bit her lower lip in pleasure as she looked down at Hermione, "It has been a _long_ time, foolish girl, since someone could look at me like that…" The wand tip came back again, "...scream, nice and loud."

Hermione's entire body arched up off the ground this time as she shrieked in pain. She wanted to rip off her own skin, tear away at the acid flowing through her veins. Bellatrix stopped and kicked Hermione, hard in the side. There was a sharp crack. She coughed blood, rolling across the floor several times and coming to a stop, trembling, both hands against her rib cage.

"Answer me! ANSWER ME!" Bellatrix seethed, looking crazed when Hermione managed to meet her gaze again. Her vision was swimming. It wouldn't be long now before she couldn't answer, and couldn't scream. Then it would all end. And hopefully the boys would find a way to escape. And Voldemort would be kept in the dark just a little longer. _Long enough… long enough…_ Hermione begged. She grit her teeth again as Bellatrix stalked closer.

Hermione wasn't sure if Bellatrix was more displeased or ecstatic to see that Hermione still resisted. "Defiant, are you?" Bellatrix hissed softly as she knelt down, reaching a hand out to Hermione's face, stroking a thumb across her lips almost tenderly, "That will be the death of you, mudblood."

_Just kill me, then…. _Hermione yanked her face from Bellatrix's fingers. The witch slapped her again. Hermione's head fell down to her arms with the blow, feeling sick. She heaved slightly, barely able to stop herself. The taste of blood invaded her mouth from a split lip.

"Draco," Bellatrix spoke softly, "Perhaps it is time that we tested your hand at this, yes?" Hermione felt tension all throughout the room now. "You know this witch- and it is said that the curse can be even more powerful when it comes from the wand of a familiar face." Her heart pounded in her chest. That was a lie. It had to be a lie. Bellatrix was trying to scare her. "Unless my dear sister wishes to put her own wand to the test?" Someone was coughing and gagging. "Oh dear," Bellatrix tutted softly, "What would the Dark Lord think of such weakness, Cissy? He would likely kill you for refusing such a simple command… Draco, darling, would you step in for your mother, as you stepped in for your dear father?"

"This is too far, Bellatrix," Lucius spoke icily. "My son-"

"-has the mark!" Bellatrix spat, "Draco, I command it!"

Hermione heard the soft click of a man's shoes. She started to shake again. It wouldn't stop this time. This was going to be awful. What did Bellatrix mean, that it would be more powerful? Bellatrix's curse had been the worst thing she'd ever known- how could it be worse from Draco? She was sobbing against her arms, unable to look up and see his face. Maybe she could pretend it was Bellatrix again. Maybe she could fool her brain. Maybe-

Pain seared through her senses once more and she screamed like she hadn't for Bellatrix. It was true, then. It was true! She rolled to her back, clawing at the floor, lost in the pain. Why did it hurt more? Why did it feel like her bones were cracking from the inside? Why did it feel like her lungs were on fire? Why did this hurt so much worse? When would she die?

Bellatrix laughed, "Enough!" Draco's spell ceased. Hermione couldn't breathe. She forced the air in her lungs, ribs aching with the effort it took. Did she have any more tears? Hermione felt a hand hold her face and her eyes fluttered open. She couldn't focus on the face in front of her. "Tell the truth." Bellatrix breathed softly against her face.

Behind her, Hermione could see Draco. He was shaking slightly, staring at her with that horrified expression, he swallowed hard as she met his gaze. Her eyes closed again. _Kill me, Draco. Just kill me and end this._

"TELL THE TRUTH!" Bellatrix screamed at her face. Another harsh slap. More blood. Hermione wished it would end. The witch stalked away. "Again, Draco," she whispered.

Hermione's entire body writhed on the floor. She screamed and screamed and screamed until she was light headed and nearly faint. But there was no more pain this time. In fact, there was no pain at all. Why was she screaming? Was she dying? Tears broke down her cheeks again. If this were dying, it wasn't so bad. At least the pain was gone. It felt like she was floating. Everything felt warm and calm and gentle. Why was she screaming so terribly? Then, she heard a voice. Draco's voice. Inside her own head.

_I don't care if you tell the truth or not, Granger, give her something! Tell her it's a copy. Just a copy. Keep saying it. Over and over and over again. Do it!_

"It's a copy," Hermione screamed suddenly, the writhing stopped. The pain came back, hitting her full force. Not a new curse. All the pain from the previous curses. She went limp again against the floor, barely able to see with the tears streaming down her cheeks. Her voice was hoarse. The words barely came out "It's just a copy!"

Her breathing hiccuped as the tears continued. Relief. Tears of relief, "It's a copy," Hermione choked, the pain dancing in her bones, the relief of having a few moments of peace from the pain letting her speak. "Just a copy," she whispered painfully. She mouthed the words, unable to speak now, throat raw, tightening with emotion. _Why, Draco?_

"Very good, Draco," Bellatrix praised softly, "_Very_ good… now I must make certain that she is telling the truth."

When the pain hit her this time, his voice in her head repeated like a broken record. _I don't care if you tell the truth or not, Granger, give her something! Tell her it's a copy. Just a copy. Keep saying it. Over and over and over again. Do it!_ It was the only thing she had to keep her sane when Bellatrix had her shrieking in pain. How long? No idea. But the words never changed. Anytime Hermione could summon her voice, she said the same thing, again and again. The words were so choked, hoarse and whispered now that she couldn't know if Bellatrix heard her. "It's a copy...just a copy."

"Bring that goblin!" Bellatrix barked.

Hermione could barely hang on to consciousness. Or did she? There were moments she could hear, and moments when she felt herself waking, and moments when she almost forgot how to breathe. Sound floated in and out around her. Soon there was screaming. Yelling. What was happening? There was a commotion- a fight. A chandelier crashed nearby. Shards of glass danced upon her skin.

"No, we can't leave her! DOBBY PLEASE!"

"Dobby must protect Harry Potter, sir! Dobby is sorry, Miss!"

"NO!"

She managed to raise her head enough to see Dobby and Harry disappearing. Relief sank through her skin. They got away. They were safe. Thank God for that house elf. Bellatrix's knife stuck into the wall behind them. "We are dead," Bellatrix whispered in horror.

Voldemort appeared seconds later. His wrath was terrifying. Spells shot all around them. So many were dead. The stench of blood and death around her made her stomach knot sickeningly. Hermione put her head against her arms, did not move, and did not look up. Maybe one of the spells would hit her. Maybe this would all end soon. Harry and Ron were safe. That was all that mattered now. She passed out.

Some time later, a foot rolled her to her back. Her senses lit with agony. She groaned in pain, gritting her teeth as consciousness returned. "At least you managed to keep one of them." Voldemort's cold words were not praise. "Draco- you will be responsible for this… mudblood. See that her wounds are well treated, so she will survive several more rounds of questioning. Summon Severus if you need. And let me warn you, if she were to die…" Hermione couldn't believe the words she heard next, "...your mother will take her place… then your father… then _you_. Am I quite clear?"

"Yes, my Lord," Draco replied coolly. Hermione felt arms lift her from the floor. Her body felt broken. Her hands fisted in pain for a moment. Even that was awful. Everything hurt. Everything pounded with an ache so deep she didn't think it would ever go away.

She couldn't even raise her head to look at him. Eyes closed. Death would be better than whatever Voldemort had planned. Maybe she would die. Then she could keep Harry's secret safe.

Her mind repeated Voldemort's threat. Her gut twisted. Draco's family would die if she died. She shouldn't care about that. Why did she? Why did Voldemort threaten them? Weren't the Malfoy's Death Eater's? Wasn't Bellatrix Narcissa's sister? Didn't they have favor with Voldemort? The questions distracted her from the pain a little bit.

"Mother… I need your wand," Draco's voice spoke above her. Then, they were moving again. Sound came in and out. Where were they going? Shapes took form and blackened in front of her eyes as she tried to open them. The world seemed upside down, spinning. Dying might be easy now. It would be a relief to escape this pain.

Relief. Hermione felt tears down her cheeks again. She hadn't told them anything useful this time. The secret was safe for now. But for how long? How long would she be able to withstand the Cruciatus curse before it broke her? Would it be Voldemort next time? What if they had veritaserum? She wouldn't be able to stop herself. They would know that she lied. And they would know Draco hadn't tortured her that second time. They would know he helped her to lie. He would die, too, wouldn't he? Then, they'd kill her once they had gotten all the information they needed out of her. If she couldn't hold her tongue...

Her body was placed down, back against a pillow. It must have been a soft bed, but the pressure against her aching body felt like agony. Sitting up was hell. Her head pressed back against a wooden headboard. A tense suck of air caught between her teeth as both hands pressed to her ribcage, unsure if pushing against it or pulling it out of her body would be better at this point. The pressure hurt like hell, but it helped. She tried to control her breathing, and stop the tears.

A cool cloth touched her face. She tensed. It was wiping away the tears and the blood. Hermione didn't move, expecting a slap, expecting more pain. It never came. The cloth gently dabbed at her split lip. She heard the sound of water as it was wrung out. It returned to wipe the hot tears from her cheeks.

The tears wouldn't stop. This was far from over, and she knew it. Today was the least of it. Voldemort had promised _several_ more rounds of questioning. _Several._ Her body began to tremble. The cloth slowly went away. The sound of a potion pouring caught her ears.

"Please kill me," Hermione whispered painfully, managing to open her eyes. Draco's hands were bloody. Her blood. His silver eyes met hers with the words. There it was again. That look. That pitying look. She hadn't imagined it, after all.

"No," Draco replied quietly, pressing a cool cup to her lips. "Drink, Granger, and sleep."

She had no choice. Her tongue and throat ached with thirst. The potion went down and the pain became fuzzy in her senses. Spinning colors took over her vision. Her eyes had to close. The diminished pain let her remember her painless screams of agony. His voice. _I don't care if you tell the truth or not, Granger, give her something! Tell her it's a copy. Just a copy. Keep saying it. Over and over and over again. Do it!_

"Why, Draco?" she whispered as the darkness took over. Her head slumped to her chest. She nearly fell out of the bed. His arms caught her, gently laid her down. The sound of water floated in her ears again.

"Sleep," he repeated quietly. She felt the cool cloth against her eyes and forehead. That felt good. Everything went dark.


	2. Chapter 2: Severus Snape

Please review!

Chapter 2: Severus Snape

Hermione woke grudgingly in the darkness, wanting to go back to sleep. Her eyes ached. Everything hurt- down to every last fingernail. She didn't know there could be so much pain afterwards. It was maddening. "I am sorry for waking you," a soft voice spoke at her side. Hermione jumped, startled, then moaned in pain. Her entire body was on fire now. That had been stupid. "...and for frightening you." the voice continued, the cool cloth was removed from her forehead and eyes. Cold water trickled down the side of her neck as it was pulled away. "You will sleep again soon, girl… but for now, you must drink this, and come with me. I need to properly examine your wounds."

Hermione felt a set of hands gently sit her up. Another cup was pressed to her lips. The pain diminished, but her vision didn't spin as much this time. The people nearby slowly came into focus. Narcissa Malfoy had a cup pressed to Hermione's lips. Draco was helping her to sit up. Severus Snape stood at the end of the bed, looking irritated and bored. "Draco, I need you to carry her for me. I don't think it's a good idea for the girl to be attempting to walk."

"Yes, Mother." Draco gently pushed the blankets away and put his arms under her knees, lifting her carefully from the bed. Hermione tried to examine the room, but her head pounded and she was forced to close her eyes, pressing her forehead against Draco's chest. She felt sick, and too hot. Her clothes stuck to her body. Hermione realized she was covered in sweat, trembling, and suddenly nauseous.

"I'm gonna be sick," Hermione muttered.

"No, you won't," Draco's voice rumbled in his chest. "That's the potion settling against the fever. Give it a minute, Granger."

He was right. By the time that he placed her down into a tub of warm water that came to her waist, the nausea had faded. "Thank you, Draco… give me my wand, and go tell Severus everything that has happened. He will need to know."

Draco gently helped Hermione sit back in the tub, back to the cool surface behind her before he released her. Hermione's eyes fluttered open. The water was already turning red with blood. She was in a magnificent bathroom. Beautiful marble surrounded her on all sides. There were tall mirrors lining the wall at the entrance, completely from floor to ceiling. There must have been mirrors behind her, too. The chamber looked endless in the reflections. Soft candles were lit around them, shadow and light dancing through the mirrors. The light hurt her eyes. Draco's arm stretched out before her face, pressing a wand to Narcissa's hands. Her eyes closed. Watching movement hurt. Then, she heard the sound of his shoes clicking on the bathroom floor, echoing slightly. The door opened and closed softly.

"What is your name, girl?" Narcissa asked softly, water began flowing from the spout again, rising up along her body slowly.

"Hermione Granger," she replied quietly. Tired. So tired. "You already knew that."

"I knew your surname, not your first name." Hermione could hear the sound of several items flying over to sit on the ledge by Narcissa's side. "May I call you Hermione?"

She nodded. This was strange. What was Narcissa doing? The water touched the edge of her aching rib. Hermione's body arched. Her scream was soundless as trembling hands reached to the edge of the tub to pull herself up out of the water slightly. Narcissa stopped the water. Hermione heard some of it draining away. "Easy, easy," Narcissa's hands gently helped her to sit back against the tub. She was panting in pain. "I did not realize the water would hurt you... I need to see your injuries, Hermione." Hermione's eyes snapped open. "No one can help if the extent of the damage is unknown."

Hermione hesitated before nodding. Narcissa's wand flicked. Hermione lay naked in the water. She heard Narcissa gasp softly in horror and closed her eyes, refusing to look down at the wound at her rib. There were some things she didn't want to know. "Oh…" the door unlocked and burst open. "Severus! _Severus!_ I need you. Draco as well- this is worse than we thought!"

Running. She heard them running. Snape hissed through his teeth at whatever he saw. Draco retched slightly- and she heard the sound of vomit hitting the floor.

"Now is not the time to be squeamish about blood," Snape snapped icily. "Narcissa, give Draco your wand. Draco, the spell I taught you- keep repeating it- just three times, understood? Narcissa, I need you to help me. She will need many potions. You start with the blood replenishing potion. We have to stop the internal bleeding. I will- damn you, Draco!" Hermione heard a scuffle and then a slap that resonated in the marble chamber, "That's enough! Close your eyes if you can't look at it. Pull yourself together!"

Hermione heard more feet rushing away. She felt strange now, almost hollow, and lightheaded. Then, she heard something that didn't make sense. A soft voice... almost singing. It was a strange sound. A wand tip barely touched her skin, tracing along her ribs. Warmth and relief sank into her skin, especially around her ribcage. Her body relaxed slightly. She knew this- had read about it- had recognized it when Harry told her what had happened when he had used sectumsempra in the boy's bathroom.

"Vulnera Sanentur," Hermione muttered softly, surprised at the flow of words sounding so song-like. It was strangely beautiful to hear this spell. She had never used it- never learned how the rise and fall of the words made sense. Music wasn't a magic she was familiar with. Now that she heard it, though, she understood. She could use this in the future. Her brain was already memorizing the incantation as it flowed from his lips. It distracted her from the pain. Anything to distract her was welcome. Anything.

Her eyes fluttered open. Draco was sitting where Narcissa had been, eyes closed, wand moving carefully back and forth, barely brushing her ribcage. Hermione didn't want to know what he was afraid to look at. His face was tinged slightly green. He began to repeat the spell a second time. Draco's eyes snapped open for a moment to examine the wound as he worked- surprise lit his features as he met her eyes. Then, the green faded as his face turned pink. Eyes screwed shut again immediately, as he continued to murmur softly in that low sing-song voice.

Right. She was naked. That had been forgotten. Hermione found she had no energy to care at the moment. Now that the ache in her ribs had started to ease, the water felt good against her skin. Brown eyes slowly closed again. Her body was starting to relax into the water, sliding further under the liquid. The wand tip fell away from her skin.

"Don't," Draco muttered, suddenly his hand held her elbow and gently lifted her back up out of the water. "I'm no good at this spell if you're moving. That wound needs one more go."

Hermione tried not to sink back into the water. It was hard. Now that her ribs weren't on fire, she just wanted to sink into the warm waters and let it work at her aching bones. She held the edge of the tub tightly with her right arm, shaking slightly, trying to resist. He sang the spell for a third time. It was so much easier to breathe now. When Draco fell silent and pulled the wand away, she sighed in relief as she slid down in the water, up to her neck.

She jumped slightly when she felt the wand press lightly to her split lip, the tip shaking slightly and jabbing at her a bit roughly. Recoiling in pain and surprise, her eyes snapped open. Draco was barely looking at her, trying to keep his eyes from her naked body. "Granger, just keep the wand at your lip, would you? It won't take long to heal." His face went pink again, "I don't really feel like staring at you the whole bloody time."

Hesitating, she relaxed again, then Hermione lightly held the wand tip in her fingers and guided it back to her lip. Draco's eyes closed and the melodic healing spell began to flow from his mouth once more. It felt a little different against her lip than it had against her ribs. This was tingling, warm, soft... Strange. He cracked open his eyes to look at her lips when he had finished one recitation of the spell. Hermione's eyes widened in surprise when he reached a hand forward, stroking his thumb against her bottom lip experimentally. "Does that still hurt?" he asked quietly, pressing harder. She hissed between her teeth. "I'll take that as a yes."

That was even more strange. His thumb felt good against her lip. Surprisingly good. He replaced his thumb with the wand tip and sang the spell again. It hadn't hurt. Hermione didn't dare tell him why she had made that sound. She closed her eyes, refusing to open them this time as she felt his thumb move against her lower lip again. That wasn't pain that flared in her stomach. "Better?" he asked. She nodded silently, almost tempted to lie so that he would do it once more. That was shameful. What was wrong with her?

"Sit up, and let me get at your back," Draco spoke quietly. "Your ribs were pretty bad off in the front. I don't know if the spell reached all the way around."

The spell only reached where the wand touched. She knew that. As she struggled to sit back up, the muscles working throughout her body screamed in protest. Her bones felt like they were scraping against each other. She grit her teeth, forcing herself to bite back a scream as she managed to sit cross legged in the tub, both arms against the edge, pressing her head into her arms. Dizziness threatened her. Her breathing shook, the sound strangely magnified in this chamber.

Draco's hands took her hair from the water, wringing it gently. He twisted it lightly, laying it over the edge of the tub. Hermione was grateful she couldn't see his face. This felt incredibly awkward now. She bit her lower lip lightly as she felt the wand tip return to her back, hearing his voice singing again. Her stomach still felt strange from his touch. The sound of his voice behind her wasn't helping. What in the name of Merlin was wrong with her?

When he had sung the song three times, Hermione felt his palm press against her back, moving his hand along her skin gently. That felt too good. She cried out in surprise, shivering slightly in pleasure. He recoiled, misinterpreting her reaction. "I was just trying to see if it still hurt- does it?"

She shook her head no quickly, grateful he couldn't see how red her face was. "Where else do you hurt from Bella's Crucio?"

"...I think you got most of hers," Hermione admitted quietly.

There was a pause. Hermione could hear droplets of water falling back to the tub from her hair before he spoke again. His voice was strangely hoarse. "...and mine?"

She hesitated before answering. "My lungs," Hermione muttered. The work around her ribcage had helped with that a bit. "My bones…" That ache hadn't been touched throughout most of her body. Strangely, the warmth of the water seemed to help. "I...I don't know if that spell will work for it. That's meant for wounds, isn't it?"

"...let me try." Draco's voice was quiet. There was regret in his tone.

Hermione felt him gently pull an arm from under her head, stretching it out along the edge of the tub. He worked slower, carefully, around the joints of her shoulder blade, then up to her arm, following each bone with precision. Such precision it surprised her. She felt tears break down her face. Tears of relief. The terrible ache _was _going away. The slow, careful progress was working. When he finished with that arm, she clenched her fist. No pain. Not a trace of it. "Thank you," she muttered softly. The water was growing cold.

"Don't say that. That's only about sixty or so bones, Granger," Draco sounded tired suddenly. "There's a lot more work to be done to fix you."

Rushing feet entered again. Snape's face swam in front of her. She found potion after potion waiting for her to drink. Draco stood, shoes clicking as he left the room. Narcissa knelt by Hermione, turning on the water again. Warmth invaded her aching bones. The only things that didn't hurt at all now were her arm, lip and ribs. Soap lathered through her hair and along every inch of her skin. Narcissa was bathing her? Hermione couldn't think. She just kept drinking the potions that Snape handed her. Choking several down was difficult, but she never complained or refused a cup. He was her enemy, wasn't he? Why was he helping her?

Hermione felt the water drain. A few careful wand flicks and Narcissa had her completely dry and changed into something soft. "Draco- come here." There was no reply. Narcissa stood abruptly. "...Draco?" She rushed from the bathroom, crying out in surprise. "_Severus!"_

Snape lifted Hermione from the tub carefully and followed Narcissa. He narrowed his eyes when they stepped back to the bedroom. Draco was collapsed on the floor, unconscious. He was even more pale than she had ever seen him. Snape quickly moved to the bed, placing Hermione down carefully. "_Damn_ that boy. I told him three times- Miss Granger, how many times did he work that healing spell?"

"I couldn't begin to count," Hermione breathed, staring wide eyed at Draco on the floor. He was like this because he tried to heal her? Narcissa was sobbing. She carefully rolled her son to his back, checking for a pulse against his neck. A sigh of relief escaped her lips, "Severus- what happened? Why is he-"

"The idiot overexerted himself, Narcissa." Snape snapped coldly. "Healing magic is different, you know that. It takes time to build up the skill to do it effectively and not strain yourself. Draco pushed too hard with a wand that doesn't belong to him. He'll be fine, just needs to rest." Snape lifted Draco in his arms this time and returned to the bed, laying Draco down on the other side of the large mattress.

Hermione's vision and hearing began to feel fuzzy suddenly. The potions Snape had given her were finally kicking in. His face swam close to hers. She blinked several times, trying to focus, trying to listen. "Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, Miss Granger. The boy needs to heal himself before attempting to heal you any further."

She couldn't respond. Not even a nod. Her eyes closed and she knew no more.

When she woke, she could hear voices softly arguing. Hermione didn't move a muscle. She didn't want to. There was no pain at the moment. Staying still might keep it that way, for a few seconds longer.

"You are such an imbecile, boy," Snape growled darkly. "Do you realize what you've done? Imperio instead of Crucio? Are you mad? What were you thinking?"

"I couldn't do it again." Draco spat back, "She looked like she would die if I did it, just once more. What else could I have done?"

"The Dark Lord would murder us all if he discovered this," Snape hissed through his teeth, "You've just gambled _all_ of our lives, Draco! How are we supposed to keep him from discovering the truth?"

"Well, that would be why I'm telling _you_, wouldn't it?" Draco's irritated voice snapped. "I don't know what to do- but I'm telling you what's been done. Happy? No more secrets. Not after… not after Dumble-"

A smack. "Don't you _dare_, Draco. No tears. No remorse. No sympathy. Why can't you get it through that _thick_ skull of yours? We wouldn't be in this position now if you had just tortured the girl the way Bellatrix commanded."

"She would have died-"

"Yes, and you would have been _safe!_ I didn't make the unbreakable vow for _her_, Draco!"

"I'm not a killer!" Draco hissed fiercely. There was a strained silence. Draco's voice was hoarse now. "I'm… I'm not."

"You will be, before this is through," Snape growled icily. "Do you _really_ think that Bellatrix will stop using you now? The Crucio you did cast was… by all accounts, ruthless, and worse than Bella's. _Worse than Bella's, Draco! _Your Aunt is absolutely preening with pride. You'll be sent to work as a torturer for information now that she knows. You'll be forced to raise a wand to Miss Granger again, and countless others. How many do you think would be able to hold their tongues?"

Draco's voice shook. "I- I don't want-"

"It does not matter what you want, you will do as you are ordered, or you will die. Narcissa will die. Lucius will die. Don't you _get_ it, Draco? There is no way out of this now."

Silence. Awful silence.

"I have managed to convince Bellatrix that Miss Granger needs your constant care for the next seventy-two hours." Snape spoke coldly. "That will give you enough time to repair most of her damage. I have left the entire cupboard stocked with potions you will need to heal her after every torturing session, and detailed instructions to recreate all of them if needed."

"I don't want to do this."

"You have seventy-two hours to understand that _you have no choice_. Bellatrix will see the difference between your Imperio and Crucio, if you're not extremely careful. I suggest that you make use of the ones you don't know to practice that Crucio, and know the real reactions." Snape paused for a moment, "Understand this… Miss Granger must bleed for Bellatrix to believe she's been tortured. She will have to suffer. Your Aunt can smell it. Imperio won't be enough. You're playing a dangerous game, Draco. I highly advise against it… but if you insist on playing, then know your part. Know when to bluff. Pick your moments carefully. No tears. No remorse. No sympathy. Beat it into your brain, boy."

Hermione heard the sound of Snape's robes billowing around him as he strode from the room and shut the door, locking it behind him. She managed to open her eyes, and turned her head to look at Draco. He was laying on his back, an arm over his eyes, jaw tightly clenched. "No tears… no remorse… no sympathy…" he repeated softly. A single tear slid down his cheek. "Damn it, Severus… I'm not as strong as you…"

She closed her eyes, turning her head back and remaining motionless for several minutes longer. Uneven breathing could be heard from his lips. Draco Malfoy. Crying. Trapped. This wasn't like the shows he had put on several times at school. It was quiet. So quiet. Heartbreaking to hear. Hermione wanted to say something… but what could she say? Snape was right. After several moments, she heard him sit up and stand. Someone was pulling the blankets away. A hand was straightening her arm. Pain shot through her body. She groaned as her eyes opened. Draco was sitting next to her, wand pressed against her shoulder, tracing the bones meticulously, that song flowing from his lips again.

"No…" she muttered, reaching a hand up to try to push the wand away. "No- Snape said you had to heal yourself first-"

Draco's other hand caught hers, pinning it down as he paused the incantation. "I don't give a _damn_ what he said." He continued the spell all the way down her arm, to every miniscule bone in her body. Then, Draco waved his wand at the cupboard and an assortment of potions flew to the table next to the bed. He sat her up gently and handed her cup after cup. Hermione didn't argue as she drank them obediently.

_No tears. No remorse. No sympathy._ Hermione thought as the darkness took over her once again. _...we're all going to die here, aren't we?_

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	3. Chapter 3: Healing

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Chapter 3: Healing

Three days. Draco had passed out multiple times while healing her the first day. Hermione hadn't been able to slow him down at all. He had worked on her while she was asleep from the healing potions. She would often wake to see him collapsed on the floor, or struggling to stay conscious. A few times, she had managed to draw him into a conversation and distract him. Quidditch. Thank goodness she didn't know anything about that, and that there were several posters hanging in the room that she didn't recognize. Ginny, Ron and Harry were the same way. Get them talking about that sport, and they could go on and on for hours. Draco was no different. He seemed slightly appalled at her lack of knowledge on the subject.

"Honestly, Granger, you're the brightest witch of our age, and you don't get Quidditch? What's wrong with you?"

It felt good- almost normal- to hear him sneering at her that way. He couldn't heal her when his mouth was full of words about the sport. Hermione knew how to ask questions. She could get him going for a long time- but if she winced, if she stopped speaking- if she gave any hint of discomfort- then his focus returned. The healing song would only stop at that point if he had pushed too hard.

Meals were brought to them by Narcissa. The motherly witch was escorted by a Death Eater who would not enter the room, but stand at the doorway and watch. Neither she or Draco spoke. Before leaving, Narcissa did embrace her son in her arms until the Death Eater outside cleared his throat. She released him, kissing his cheek before departing. This routine startled Hermione. Was the entire family a prisoner here?

The second day, Lucius was brought to visit. A different Death Eater stood outside the room, glaring icily. Hermione didn't dare speak or move. The man in the hall gave her chills. Lucius himself looked overly fatigued and there was almost a trace of fear behind his eyes. His face was pale and gaunt, worse than Draco's. Lucius and Draco sat to play a game of Wizard Chess in silence. When his Father stood to leave, Hermione saw a note carefully tucked under the edge of the board. Draco ignored it until the footsteps of his Father and guard were long faded.

Then, he had rushed to the note, taking it in both hands and reading it quickly. His shoulders tensed and relaxed and tensed again as he read. As soon as he was done, Draco threw the letter into the fire. Then, he had collapsed on the couch with his head held in both hands, remaining frozen that way for a very long time. Hermione had risked getting out of the bed and sitting next to him, gently placing a hand on his thigh. At first, he hadn't moved. Then, he sat up, sitting back, and held her hand in his own, giving a gentle, silent squeeze.

His effort to heal her had redoubled after that. Nothing she said would stop him. Anytime she tried to argue, he fed her a draft that took away the pain and forced her eyes to close.

Now, three days later, she felt the difference his efforts and the potions had made. There was strength in her body again. However, it had cost Draco. The effort of healing her so quickly had left him too pale, and today, Bellatrix arrived to take notice.

It was the first day Hermione had seen Bellatrix since she'd been tortured. Hermione was surprised to feel all the blood drain from her face just at the sight of her. The witch cackled in glee, standing at the doorway, eyes glittering. "Very well done, Draco… but don't you think you've gone a bit far? The whelp looks better than when she arrived at the Manor..."

"The Dark Lord has promised to kill my mother, my father, and myself if she were to die while being tortured," Draco spoke quietly, clenching his fists at his sides. "...you know that I can't risk that happening, Aunt Bella."

"Did he now?" Pity flickered in her gaze momentarily. Those eyes took all of Draco in, and she frowned unhappily. "I will see if I can change his mind about that, Draco… you look unwell… the effort it took for you to heal this piece of trash was too much."

"It will get easier," Draco replied simply. "The more I practice, the less effort it takes, right?"

Bellatrix's face broke into a cold smile at that. "Indeed… true of many magical arts, dear nephew… as you will soon see. Get some rest. I expect to see you looking equal to the health of your patient. I will summon Severus to determine how much time you will need for that."

Draco did not argue as Bellatrix closed the door. He swayed slightly where he stood after it had shut. Hermione stood quickly and caught him. Draco had nearly passed out just before Bellatrix had thrown the doors open. She wasn't sure how he'd managed display of strength just now.

"Lay down," Hermione insisted as she guided him to the bed.

"No." Draco tried to fight her. He didn't have the strength. That was a bit alarming. She forced him to the bed.

"You lay down!" Hermione snapped irritably. She took the wand from his hand and flicked it at the cupboard, summoning several healing potions for him this time. A chair flew over to her and she sat, flicking her wand at the bottles to remove the lids.

Draco stared at her, going even more pale, if possible. "Granger... give me back that wand."

She froze. There was a wand in her hand. In a heartbeat, she could apparate out of here. That wand meant freedom. Why hadn't she thought of that until now? But… if she left… if she fled… then he would die. What if she took him with her? No… he would never do that. His family would be killed. Plus, he had the Dark Mark. They would find him. There was no way he could run. She couldn't do it. Not even to Draco Malfoy.

Her face turned to meet his, determined brown eyes meeting a frightened silver gaze. Hermione slowly, carefully opened her palm and offered the wand to Draco. For a moment, he didn't move. Then, his fingers slowly took the wood, tucking it back into his pocket. It was harder than she thought it would be to let go of that opportunity. Neither of them spoke, recognizing the choice she had just made. Hermione poured each potion, one by one, and handed it to him to drink. Draco didn't argue. He didn't fight her.

"You should've run," Draco muttered as his eyes began to close. "That was stupid, Granger…"

"I can't do that to you." Hermione replied quietly, helping him to lie down in the bed.

"You should." His voice began to slur, "Ever heard of survival instincts?"

"Shut up and sleep," Hermione grumbled as she pulled a blanket over his body.

"...thank you..." he muttered before his head turned to the side and his breathing evened.

This was bad, wasn't it? When did she start to care what happened to him? She wouldn't need his help to heal if he hadn't attacked her in the first place. None of this would have happened in the first place, if he had never let the Death Eaters into Hogwarts. It made no sense to stay. This was stupid. There was going to be more torture. This wasn't done. It was just a pause. Why didn't she flee? She could go now, take the wand from his pocket, and disappear. It would be the easiest thing to do.

The thoughts circled cruelly in her mind. But, her mind finally settled. Running away would cost blood, and it wasn't hers. People would die because of her if she ran. Hermione couldn't stomach that reality. Besides that, where would she go? Nowhere was safe. She laughed shakily, covering her face with both hands as tears ran from her eyes. This was so stupid. There was no way out. Hermione put her arms down on the bed, head pressed in her arms, and sobbed. She hated this. Why couldn't she have just died three days ago? It would've been so much easier.

That was how Severus Snape found them. Draco, asleep, the potions working through his body as they had worked through hers. Hermione, sobbing, shaking, barely holding herself together.

Snape took her by the arms and forced her to the couch. "Where is Narcissa's wand?"

"It's in his pocket," Hermione said softly, wiping the tears from her face. Crying wasn't going to fix this. She had to stop. The man froze, staring at her. Snape knew. She chose suffering. There was no way he could misunderstand what those words meant. Hermione had decided not to run away. Tension seemed to seep into Snape's form.

"You are both the biggest _fools_ I have ever known," Snape hissed through clenched teeth. "...you will heal him, Miss Granger. I have no idea how hard he pushed himself. I do know that Bellatrix will not wait more than two days. Narcissa will hold her wand while this happens. Do not give him sleeping drafts again. I will make certain Draco is the only one able to remove those from the cabinet. He _must _keep his wits! The boy talks in his sleep sometimes. It's always been dangerous for him to slumber." Snape's eyes narrowed dangerously at her, "I thought I specifically told you not to let him do this."

"I couldn't stop him," Hermione whispered, her eyes flickering back to the bed. "I tried… I swear, I tried… but he wouldn't listen. Draco just kept giving me sleeping drafts… and healed me while I was unconscious."

Snape frowned deeply at that. He strode to the bed, ripping off the blanket, and tore the wand from Draco's pocket. The silver haired man woke instantly, a hand clutching Snape's wrist. His eyes widened and he glanced across the room at Hermione, then back to Snape.

"No…" He released the wrist. Drowsiness took over his features again. The hand slid back down to the bed. Snape stormed from the room, slamming the door. Hermione returned to Draco's side, gently pulling the blanket back up to his chest. "Granger…" Draco muttered. "You should've… run…" His head tossed to the side, eyes cracking open to meet hers. "I'll just hurt you again…you're… so… stupid…"

"Well then, you'd better heal me again after you do," Hermione quipped back, trying to restrain a rush of fear just at the thought of his Crucio curse again. "...and you'd better learn how to heal without losing all your strength like this."

"Stupid…" he repeated, eyes closing as he drifted unconscious a second time.

The fourth day when Narcissa came with food, there was a note hidden under the tray. Draco had been ordered by Bellatrix to remain in bed, and commanded that the mudblood would properly wait on him hand and foot. Hermione carefully concealed the note in his lap as she took the tray to him. Narcissa had been allowed to remain long enough to tidy the room and bath chamber. Again, she embraced her son until the guard cleared his throat. As soon as the footsteps faded, Draco spoke, "Find the tile, five up, three to the right from the second sink. _Quickly._"

Hermione was startled but she moved quickly to obey. The tile came out in her hand. There was a note there. She took it, carefully replacing the tile and returning to Draco. He was already reading the first note.

"Open it," he commanded. Hermione obeyed. One scan and her eyes had read it. She gasped. Draco dropped the first note, taking the second from her hand. She caught the first note. Narcissa's update. She was okay. They were allowing her freedom of the mansion and gardens, so long as the guard remained with her at all times.

Lucius was being punished again. He would not be allowed to see Narcissa or Draco until the next new moon. The Dark Lord was sending him off on another mission to find and kill a run-away Death Eater. Draco fisted the note in his hand. "...burn them."

Hermione took both in hand as well as a book, and moved to obey. She threw the notes in the fire first, and climbed the ladder to return the book she had in hand, then pulled out a new one from the shelf. The door burst open while she stood on the ladder.

Severus Snape strode into the room, eyes cold and hard. That wasn't a good look. Bellatrix stood at the doorway, drumming her fingers impatiently on her arm. She saw Hermione up on the ladder and smirked. "A well-trained pet, aren't you, girl? Perhaps you need to rename the bitch, nephew."

"I have brought veritaserum," Snape said icily. His eyes glanced across the room to Hermione. "So long as you told the truth about that sword, Miss Granger, you will have nothing to fear."

Fear flooded her veins. She hadn't. She _hadn't_ told the truth! What would happen now?

"Ha!" Bellatrix's barking laugh reminded Hermione of Sirius. "She is terrified, no? Look at 'er face! What are you afraid we will discover, little girl?" Bellatrix smiled tauntingly as she spoke the next words, "Perhaps of your secret desire to feel the touch of my nephew's 'and on your skin?" Hermione flushed darkly, clutching the book tightly to her chest. Her heart pounded hard in her chest, and she couldn't look across the room to meet Draco's gaze. "Oh Merlin, Severus! I don't believe this! You were _right_!" Bellatrix laughed again, crueller, colder than before. "What an 'onest little face you 'ave, 'ermione! I want to know more of this..."

"Bellatrix," Snape warned icily, "My supply of veritaserum has run extremely thin, with the amount your Death Eaters have taken to force answers from their victims. I barely have enough left for this. Don't waste this opportunity with such frivolous questioning. Ask about the sword and be done with it."

The witch waved her hand dismissively at him, eyes glittering. Hermione slowly climbed down the ladder, feeling herself going pale as Snape approached. He motioned to the chair by the fire. Why couldn't Bellatrix enter the room? What was keeping her in the doorway? She felt like she was out of body as she sat in the chair where Snape commanded her. The book slowly slid from her fingers to her lap. This would ruin everything. Snape was about to sentence her to death. And Draco. And his parents. She closed her eyes tightly, forcing herself not to panic, not to cry.

The potion Master took out a vial and pointed his wand at it carefully. A single drop floated into the air. He took Hermione's jaw, forcing it open, and the liquid touched her tongue.

She felt it when the potion was active. Oh God- it was veritaserum. It was real! It was _working_. Hermione put both hands to her mouth, feeling herself hyperventilating. What would she do? _What would she do?!_ Snape took both hands from her mouth and forced them to her sides. "Now, Bellatrix, ask her about the sword! Quickly!"

"Do not tell me how to interrogate," Bellatrix sneered at him. "First, I want to know how long you've harbored desire for my sweet nephew, you filthy little mudblood."

Snape and Hermione spoke at the same time. "Bellatrix, there is no time for this foolishness-"

"When he healed my lip in the bath after I'd been tortured." Hermione felt her mouth moving. She couldn't stop it. Her eyes widened and her face reddened. "When he put his thumb on my lip… it didn't hurt… it felt arousing. I didn't tell him. I let him do it again. I wanted him to do it again." Hermione bit her lip hard, drawing blood, trying to stop the words from coming. This was awful. She didn't want to be saying any of this.

"Oh no, no, no, no!" Bellatrix cackled, "Continue- tell me more! Just what is it that you like about dear Draco?"

"_Bellatrix_!" Snape hissed insistingly. "That was my _last_ drop. Don't do this!"

Hermione's mouth kept moving. "His eyes. The sound of his voice in the healing song in the bath chamber was beautiful. His hands. I liked the feeling of his hands in my hair. I-"

"Enough," Draco snapped irritably from the bed, sounding disgusted. "Aunt Bella, really, I've had enough of this. It's bad enough to be stuck in the same room with her this long without a break. And _she's_ the one that has to heal _me_ now. Add this to it all? Are you trying to make me sick?"

"Oh, Draco," Bellatrix smiled at him from the doorway, "Mudblood she may be, but you know it took quite a lot of energy for you to heal her this way. And she's not _that_ unattractive. Maybe you should _take_ something from her, as payment, nephew?" Hermione felt her blood freeze. Was Bellatrix telling Draco to rape her? _What?!_ "It doesn't sound like she would refuse you terribly hard. It would give you something to do to pass the time." Bellatrix laughed harder as she turned her eyes back to Hermione. "Now then… the sword."

Fear knotted in Hermione's gut. Snape spoke coldly. "Bellatrix, are you seriously _advising_ your nephew to soil himself with this mudblood?"

"Every man needs practice women," Bellatrix replied casually. "He'll be stuck in this room with her for days, healing her so that we can keep breaking her afresh. That'll get dull quickly, and you know it. The boy might as well have some fun, Severus."

"Just ask about the sword." Snape snapped icily. "Your sister will not be pleased to know you've planted this thought in his mind."

Bellatrix merely smiled. "Cissy isn't one to understand something like that. She was always too proper and proud. Perhaps her son is more like his Father than his Mother, eh? Now then..." The witch grinned viciously as she asked the damning question. "Mudblood, did you tell me the truth about the sword being a copy?"

The veritaserum faded in that instant. "Yes." Hermione lied immediately.

"And how did you come by it?"

"Harry found it at the bottom of a lake. I don't understand how it got there." Hermione replied, unable to stop the truth from her lips, unable to think of a better lie.

Bellatrix frowned but accepted the answer. Snape released her. "That's it. That's as long as a single drop will last. You're lucky you didn't run out of time, Bellatrix." He sneered down at Hermione. She flushed darkly, clutching the book in her lap to her chest, looking down at her feet. "I didn't need to hear all of that."

Snape strode across the room. The doors slammed shut. Hermione didn't move. She had never felt so embarrassed in all her life. Draco stood. The sound of his bare feet lightly pressing against the floor made her breath catch. She closed her eyes, drawing her knees up and hiding her face against them, releasing the book to wrap her arms around them and make herself as small as humanly possible.

A hand lightly touched the top of her head. Hermione didn't move. She held her breath. There were tears burning her eyes. Was he making fun of her? Because she'd said she liked the feeling of his fingers in her hair? His fingers gently brushed through her hair. Hermione couldn't take it. She shook her head no, bringing both hands up over her head to hide her hair from his touch. He hadn't touched her hair once since that bath. Panic lit in her chest. What was he doing? Was he going to… was he really going to do what Bellatrix had suggested?!

Draco knelt, pushing her knees down forcefully, taking her face gently in both hands. Hermione went rigid with fear. "No!" she gasped, icy terror flooding her chest.

She quickly held his wrists in both hands as her eyes shot open, meeting his silver gaze. A blush still colored her cheeks. Hot tears were swimming in her vision. Draco's gentle expression surprised her. "I won't _take_ anything from you, Granger. You're safe in this room with me. I can't promise that to be true anywhere else in this hellhole, but I _swear_ I'm not the person Bellatrix thinks I am."

Hermione burst into tears and threw her arms around his neck, falling out of the chair to her knees, sobbing. The book clattered away. She had never felt terror like that. Never! He held her tightly as she cried, unable to restrain the fear. Draco _could_ if he wanted to… Hermione wouldn't really be able to stop him… and Bellatrix encouraged it. How many other Death Eaters looked at her as a potential 'practice woman'? Such an awful thought!

"Calm down, Granger," Draco muttered, rubbing her back in a soft circle. "You can't fall apart like this anymore. It's going to get worse from here. Pull yourself together."

She nodded against his chest, pulling away, rubbing her eyes hard with the heels of her hands, hiccuping, trying to get a grip. "You split your lip again," Draco said quietly. His thumb pressed against it, wiping the blood away, lingering a moment longer than necessary. Hermione felt a rush of arousal, just as she had in the tub. She froze, lowering her hands to stare at him.

"...you weren't the only one thinking that way, that day." Draco admitted quietly. Then, without another word, he silently took the book that she had gotten down in his hand and walked away from her. Hermione wasn't sure if she felt more relieved, shocked or confused. After several long moments, she stood, walking back to her side of the bed, lifting her own book.

They sat apart and read their books in the strange silence.

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	4. Chapter 4: Too long

Chapter 4: Too long

Hermione struggled to open her eyes as the door opened this time. Her body was on fire. Draco had tortured her a second time a few days ago. That had been hell. Just when she thought she couldn't take anymore- he had switched to the Imperius curse. Bellatrix hadn't wanted anything from her. She had just wanted to make her suffer.

The witch always got what she wanted.

Narcissa gave her the late morning round of potions, and the afternoon, and the late afternoon, and the early evening, and the late evening... Draco had been assigned to torturing prisoners, and was gone early in the morning, and did not return until late at night. Hermione had barely been conscious his last few visits. She knew he had been there, because various parts of her body ceased aching each time her eyes opened in the early mornings. Was healing becoming easier for him now? She hoped so.

That night, when she was able to open her eyes, she heard it. Crying. Soft. Quiet. Hermione struggled to sit up. Her vision spun slightly. She ignored it, pushing the sheets away and staggering to her feet. "Draco?"

Hermione would have fallen to the ground if he hadn't caught her. "Stupid," Draco hissed, "You shouldn't be moving around, Granger, you're not-" She wrapped both arms around his chest and clung to him tightly. The words faded. "Let go."

She shook her head no, but her grasp was weakening against her will. He lifted her back to the bed and she heard him pouring potions again. Hermione refused to take the cup from him. "Why were you crying, Draco?"

"Drink your potions." his voice was rough. His fingers forced it into her hand.

She took the cup but let it fall down to sit in her lap. "What's wrong?"

"Drink your damn potions, Hermione!" he snapped, taking her hand in his and forcing the cup to her lips. Half the draft spilled down her front. He cursed, throwing the cup across the room as he stalked to the bath chamber. Draco returned with a bowl of warm water and a cloth. He wiped the potion away from her skin gently.

The silence was tense as he worked.

"...you called me Hermione." she muttered, slightly stunned.

"Maybe I thought you'd listen better if you heard your bloody name," Draco spat. He stood, walking across the room to retrieve the cup, washing it in the sink before returning to her.

"I don't understand…" Hermione felt the confusion bubble in her. She had never seen him do anything the Muggle way so many times. "Why don't you use your wand?"

He tensed. Then, his shoulders finally relaxed. The anger diminished. Draco spoke very quietly this time. "...Bellatrix decided that she doesn't want me healing you quite as much. She won't let me have it here now… not until she believes you require healing of that magnitude."

Hermione exhaled shakily. "She wants me to hurt more."

"...yes." Draco admitted quietly. He poured the potion again. "So, please…" Draco gently pressed the cup to her hand. She was shaking. So was he. "_Please_… drink your potions…"

She didn't fight him this time. Darkness soon took her away again. He woke her several times through the night to administer another draft of one thing or another. Did he ever sleep?

Several days passed this way. The lingering pain was tolerable with the potions. Hermione felt strange, being drugged into sleep so many days in a row. Time stopped making sense. It seemed he was _trying_ to keep her unconscious. Maybe that was the truth. Maybe that was the only thing that kept her from screaming in another torture session. Maybe he couldn't stand to face her after putting her through another round of the Cruciatus curse.

Hermione's eyes fluttered open slowly. She could hear him talking. "Draco?"

The door cracked open slightly. Why? She tried to ignore it as she focused on his voice. Hermione put a hand to her head, sitting up, feeling a little dizzy. Her bones still ached, but the sleeping potion had _finally _faded. He'd forgotten to give her another dose.

Draco was laying on the far side of the bed- sleeping fitfully. He was sweating- no, his shirt was drenched in sweat. Hermione pushed the blankets away from both of them, quickly pressing a hand to his forehead. He was burning up! "Draco…" she muttered softly, concerned. What was wrong with him? Her fingers undid the buttons of his shirt quickly, pulling the blankets further from his body. She stood quickly, rushing to the bath chamber to get a bin of cold water and a cloth.

"No…" Draco muttered in his sleep. "Severus- no- NO! Don't tell me how to do this…" The words became incoherent again. Hermione wrung out the cloth, wiping it across his face, and neck quickly before dipping back into the cool water a second time. Draco muttered, again, words barely perceptible. Hermione put the cloth over his eyes, then had a sudden realization. Snape had warned her he did this. Snape had warned her Draco spoke in his sleep. Someone was at the door, listening. Waiting for Draco to slip. About _anything_.

She shook him, fear creeping up her spine. Now wasn't the time to let the intruder know she knew they were there. "Draco… Draco, what's wrong?" Hermione tapped his face gently, "Wake up!"

"No- not again- don't… don't make me…" Draco's hands fisted in the sheets, head tossing to the side. What was he dreaming? His whisper was only loud enough for her to hear. "...I don't want to do this… not a killer..."

The crack in the door opened a little wider, the listener straining to hear. "Wake up," she pleaded, shaking him. "Come on, Draco, wake up!"

His hands caught her wrists in his sleep. Not too tightly- but not so softly that she could pull away. He tensed, gritting his teeth. His fingers tightened around her wrists. Hermione saw the breath Draco took- he was about to shout something? No! That person was listening at the door for a reason. What secrets did Draco have? What did someone in the house anticipate he would say? Why was there a spy? Draco tried not to sleep- she had seen it herself. He _must_ have said something in the past. There _must_ be a reason he fought against sleep so hard. She couldn't let this happen.

Without stopping to let herself think anymore, she crushed her lips against his. Whatever he tried to say was lost against her lips. Then, Hermione felt him pull her to the bed, rolling on top of her. His body pinned her there. That hurt. Her body arched in pain, she cried out as her arm ached angrily. But… his lips were a different story. When his lips pressed against hers harder, she moaned softly. That felt better than it should've. Suddenly his hands were above her shoulders and he was pushing himself off of her.

Stunned silver eyes- exhausted silver eyes- met hers. His eyebrows furrowed down in confusion. Draco almost said something. Hermione slid her leg so he slipped back down on top of her. She cried out in pain as he fell on her again, wrestling with him slightly to keep him there. Their lips were crushed together again. The door creaked open a little further. Draco broke the kiss, sitting up quickly, his head turning sharply to the door. It slammed shut. The sound of hurried footsteps disappearing down the hall slowly faded.

"...Granger…" Draco turned his eyes back to hers, looking very confused. "...what in the _hell_ just happened?"

"You were talking in your sleep," she muttered quickly, eyes locked to his. He was blushing. She was blushing. Shit. "...I tried to wake you up, but it wasn't working. I tried shaking you but you held my wrists…" she nodded her head towards the door, breaking eye contact. It was hard to look him in the eye now that she felt her heart pounding in her chest, and her lips tasted like him. He sat up off of her. "...and someone was there, listening at the door. I didn't know what you would say- I didn't know what else to do to stop you."

Hermione sat up slowly, turning her face back to his. Draco was staring at her lips. She licked them nervously, "Why… why do they do that, Draco?"

"I talk in my sleep. They know. They try to catch it, catch me somehow." Those silver eyes were unmoving. "It's a good thing you were here to stop me." She held her breath as his hand slowly reached out to hold her cheek. She felt his thumb against her lip. Her stomach flipped slightly at that look. "Damn you, Hermione... I told you I wasn't going to take from you…" Her breath caught when she saw him leaning closer. "...what am I supposed to do if you _give_ something to me, witch?"

His thumb traced her lip softly, and her heart pounded in her chest. "Feel free to do that anytime I'm having trouble keeping my mouth shut," Draco muttered, barely an inch from her lips. She nodded, her stomach burning slightly in anticipation. She wanted to feel his lips again. The desire was overpowering. He took his blasted time, though, and by the time he actually kissed her, she was shivering slightly, her skin raised with small bumps of anticipation and pleasure.

He pulled away too soon. She bit her lip softly, surprised by how much she _liked_ his kiss. His mouth was on hers again, his tongue flicking against her lip lightly to stop her teeth from worrying the flesh. She gasped slightly at the sensation of his tongue there. Again- he withdrew too soon. "Don't bite your lips," he muttered as he pulled away. She nodded, feeling a little light headed.

Draco frowned as he pulled away, fingers pulling at his shirt irritably. "Gods, I miss having a wand," he muttered, standing. Draco stripped the shirt and threw it off just before entering the bathing chamber. Hermione heard the water from the shower a few moments later. She wandered to the couch with a book, needing to get away from that bed, and distract herself for a little while. Barely a page or two in the book, and she jumped as the doors slammed open. Hermione slid all the way down into the couch cushions to hide, heart in her throat.

"Boy," a voice called from the door. The water stopped quickly. Draco returned to the room, she could hear water dripping from his skin to the floor. "Your Aunt decided you could have the wand back."

She heard a hand catch a wand.

"Give her my thanks," Draco said automatically.

"Thanks?" There was a strange laugh. Cruel. "She said she just wanted you to be able to practice with the girl easier. Expects her little fly on the wall to have a better story to tell the _next time_."

The door slammed shut. Hermione sat up and stared at Draco. His back was to her at the moment. He wore a dark towel around his waist. Water fell from his skin to the floor. "Damn it…" Draco hissed through his teeth, running his free hand along his face as he turned around. He froze when he met her eyes. She put both hands to her mouth in surprise, her eyes tearing across his body. Hermione couldn't stop herself. There was a strange, raised spider web pattern of scarring on his chest. The dark mark was clearly visible as he slowly lowered his arm. Neither spoke for a long moment. The sound of water dripping from his body to the floor was the only thing that broke the silence.

"She is going to send spies more often at night now." Draco said quietly, fingers tightening on the wand. "Granger, she wants to _know_ that I'm…" He swallowed hard, going slightly green. "Fuck…" Draco hurried away from her, rushing to the bathroom. She could hear him getting sick. Hermione slowly got out of bed and followed. He stood at the sink, and had just evanescoed the sick away, and flicked the wand at his mouth to clean it.

"You never should have kissed me," Draco growled when she entered, eyes flashing at her. "Damn you, Granger… there is no way to fake what Bellatrix expects. Not entirely. It's why I had to actually use the Crucio curse against you…" He was pale now. "Bellatrix expects her spy to see… more… do you realize that?"

She did. She was shaking slightly as she stood at his side, but crossed her arms over her chest to try to hide it. "So we make a plan, an act for her spy to witness, Draco. Then you're not really taking anything from me and-"

"Bloody hell, Granger," Draco whispered, appalled, paling, "What the _fuck_ is wrong with you? Eventually, Bellatrix expects me to _rape_ you…" he was going green again."You… you think we can _fake_ that?"

"...is there any other choice?" Hermione felt herself trembling harder. Draco's arms came around her and held her tightly. She held him, feeling her heart slamming against her ribcage in fear.

"...you need to stay unconscious for a few more days," he muttered, thinking out loud. "I'll tell Bellatrix that… I didn't care to have a damaged practice woman." Hermione felt his face suddenly press into her hair. "Damn it all… why did you have to come to the Manor in the first place?" He was shaking harder now. "I never wanted this."

He was crying again, she realized. Hermione felt tears in her eyes, tried to resist them. Failed. "C'mon, pull yourself together," she muttered, trying to calm her own racing heart. Her hand reached up to stroke his wet hair. They held on to each other tightly in the dim light. She wasn't sure how long they stood like that. Tears had stopped by the time he spoke again.

"We'll have to come up with a touch language, something simple," Draco muttered into the top of her head.

"What?" Hermione frowned slightly. She'd never heard of a touch language.

"My mother and I have a conversation every time she hugs me," he said quietly. "Just through the pressure and position of hands on the back. It took a long time to come up with it, though. There's no time to teach it to you... We need subtle, simple signs. Easy to use and remember."

The admission left her speechless. "...how long have you all been held prisoner here?"

"Too long..." Draco admitted quietly, holding her tighter. "...too long."

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	5. Chapter 5: First kill

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Chapter 5: First kill

Hermione's eyes fluttered open with difficulty. It was bright at the window. Must've been around midday. Draco had been keeping her heavily sedated over the past week. It appeared that Bellatrix had accepted his lie that he needed an uninjured practice woman- but she would not consent to allow him to rapidly heal her. The witch insisted he increase the dosage of the healing potions so time could work on her, while Draco worked on the prisoners. She hadn't been able to think at all about a touch language. The dosage of potion she was on even eliminated her ability to dream. Anytime she started to wake, Narcissa was there to put more down her throat. Today, Hermione had woken before the witch arrived. She wanted to stay this way.

How long had she been here now? Two weeks? No. It had to be more than that. It was hard to tell with everything that was happening. Hermione needed to be awake. They _had_ to start preparing for Bellatrix's spy. She forced herself to stand and stumbled to the bath chamber, showering. The water helped to wake her. Hermione was surprised to find a change of clothes waiting for her. Narcissa was sitting at the table when she emerged.

Neither spoke. The guard at the door was watching them. For the first time, Narcissa embraced Hermione. And Hermione felt the woman's hand repeating the same four motions on her back. She closed her eyes. Index finger poking in. The shape of an X. A caress and press near the center of her upper back. Then all fingertips doing something strange. That one was hard to memorize. The guard cleared their throat. Narcissa released Hermione, gesturing to a plate of food on the table. Hermione sat after the doors closed.

There was no note. Hermione didn't understand what Narcissa had been trying to tell her. Draco would've understood. Would understand. She'd show him later. Her thoughts drifted as she ate in silence, wondering how he was. They hadn't spoken at all this week. After eating, she climbed the ladder to return her last book and pick out a new one. This room had no shortage of interesting books, that was for certain.

Three chapters in, and the door quietly opened and closed. Not rushed. Not slammed. Hermione looked up to see Draco standing there, his back pressed to the door. Something was wrong. He was never back at this time of day. He slowly slid down to the floor. Hermione quickly put the book down, hurrying next to him, sitting on the floor. Draco's eyes looked through her. She waved a hand in front of his face. He didn't even blink. So pale.

"Draco," Hermione touched his cheek lightly. He recoiled instantly, slamming his head against the door behind him, closing his eyes and cursing, reaching a hand to rub the back of his head, opening one eye to glare at her.

"Don't touch me," he spat, shoving her arm away and standing, stalking over towards the fireplace. Where he paced. Back and forth. She'd never seen him pace.

Hermione slowly walked back to the couch where she'd been reading. She sat slowly on the leather cushions. Back and forth. His eyes weren't here. Back and forth. Something was very wrong. Back and forth. His jaw clenched. Back and forth. He stopped. Then, Draco was punching the stone of the mantlepiece. Hermione saw blood. She gasped, standing quickly, "Don't- stop! Draco!" She tried to grab his arm. He threw her off and she stumbled over the coffee table, tripping, falling to the floor with a painful crash.

In a blink, he was kneeling by her, hands roughly yanking her up to the couch. "Damn you, Granger, don't you _ever_ try to stop me like that again!"

His knuckles were raw. Bleeding. Some looked broken. Hermione didn't wait to ask. She took the wand from his pocket, trapped one hand in hers, and began the healing song. He didn't move to stop her. She repeated the spell three times on one hand, and dropped that one to her knee, reaching for his other hand. Draco almost recoiled, but she frowned deeply at him with an angry glare and he relented. She pushed the wand back into his hand after that.

"...what happened?" Hermione asked quietly.

He was silent so long that Hermione wasn't sure if he would answer her. Draco pocketed the wand, lifting himself to the couch, leaning wearily against the arm. He stared straight at the fire, eyes unfocused as he watched the flames. The silence stretched uncomfortably. Hermione wasn't sure if she should ask again, or just keep waiting. His hand rose, covering his face and eyes. Footsteps coming and going in the hall were heard several times. Just as she was about to try again, she saw Draco swallowed hard, then words fell from his mouth.

"One of them died," his voice sounded hollow. "...I killed them…"

Hermione felt her breath catch. She put both hands over her mouth, staring at him. Silent tears fell down his face behind his hand. His breathing hitched. She turned, wrapped both arms around him and pulled him into her arms, hard. Draco fought at first. He tried to push her away- he tried to pull her arms off- but Hermione fought back, and she refused to let go. Eventually, he held onto her tightly. Painfully. Pressing his face against her neck and shoulder. And she could feel his body shaking. "I don't even know who it was…" he hissed, "And I'm never going to forget that face… those eyes…" A strange sound caught in his throat. "It's just like Dumbledore. I can still _see_ the moment when he died… _Fuck_…" Draco held on to her tighter. "...she's going to start ordering me to kill more of them now."

A small cracking sound at the fire made them both jump. Draco had his wand in hand in a heartbeat and had pushed Hermione back against the couch, stretching an arm across her body to block her from the intruder. "Wait!" Hermione cried at both of them, pressing his arm away and catching his wand hand gently. "...Dobby? How did you get here?"

"Secrets, young Miss, secrets." The house elf tilted his head slightly, ears flopping in confusion at the sight of Draco's arm across her body. "Dobby has come to free you."

Draco's wand arm fell. He pocketed it. "About time you idiots figured it out."

Hermione was frozen. She turned her gaze from Dobby to Draco, back to Dobby. She shook her head no, "Dobby… how… how did you manage to get in here?"

"The passage was opened, just this week… but only here. Dobby had to be careful. Dobby suspected it was a trap." The elf narrowed his eyes at Draco, "...you is a bad boy, Draco Malfoy… why would you make it open?"

"Get her out of here," Draco spat coldly at the elf. He took Hermione by the hand and pulled her to her feet. "I'll tell them you weren't here when I got-"

"Don't, Dobby! Draco! How _dare_ you!" She was furious. Hermione slapped Draco as hard as she could. The silver haired man stumbled sideways, all the way over to the bookcase, and she followed angrily, raising her hand to hit him again. Draco managed to catch that hand. She hit him with the other one, and then he had both wrists trapped. "They will kill you." Hermione was surprised how steady her voice spoke. "...kill your entire family, if I'm not here for them to torture! They won't care why or how I'm gone- they've been _looking_ for a reason to hurt you all."

"That isn't your problem," Draco growled, tightening his hand on her wrists. "Grow some God damn survival instincts and _get out while you can_!" He gave her a rough shake. "Just go!"

"Dobby," Hermione turned to him, ignoring Draco. "Tell Harry the truth of things here. Why I can't leave- won't leave. You heard. Get back to where you came from."

"Hell no!" Draco spat, shaking his head no. "Elf, get her out of here! She's not safe."

Dobby looked at them both in confusion. He began to reach out a hand to Hermione. Draco pushed her away, releasing her arms. "This… This is not what Dobby expected."

"No, Dobby!" Hermione felt panic rising in her chest. She wrapped her arms suddenly around Draco and locked her hands together behind his back, burying her face against his chest. "I'm not leaving."

Draco tried to push her off. His arms reached around to pull at her, but she had an iron grip on him. "Hermione…" he finally spoke, softer, "Just _go. _You know what's waiting for you here… leave."

"I won't be responsible for killing you." Hermione said stubbornly. "I'm _staying_. Dobby… I'll call for you if there's a safe opportunity to get away, okay? Please, go to explain this to them."

Dobby stared at Draco with a strange expression. He approached them both slowly, staring hard at Draco until the wizard looked down to lock eyes with the house elf. Dobby stared for a long minute, before slowly blinking and looking from Draco to Hermione and back to Draco. "...your eyes have changed, young Malfoy..." Dobby sighed. "They will not be happy about this, Miss, not at all..."

The elf snapped his fingers. A soft crack that could have been the wood in the fireplace took him away. "You're supposed to be intelligent." Draco growled. She felt a lecture coming and quickly pressed the symbols that Narcissa had given her against his back. He froze. "... How… how do you know that?"

"Your mother was here today." She responded, glad to have distracted him.

"Again."

She repeated the movements. He soon his head no. "The last one doesn't make sense."

"It was hard to get what she was doing."

Hermione closed her eyes, trying to remember. His palms came to her back. "Tell me if anything feels familiar."

His hand tried a variety of different shapes. After a few trials, she felt it. "That! That one. What did she say?"

"You…" he pressed his finger into get back, "...not…" the X shape, "...heart…" Draco lightly pressed his hand to the middle of her upper back. "...kill." He repeated the strange final motion on her back. His hands dropped to his side. "She was saying… that I don't have the heart of a killer."

"She's right," Hermione said immediately, tightening her arms around him.

"You don't know what I am."

"I know what you're not."

"Don't say something so damn stupid," he growled, "You don't know me, Granger."

"I know the faces of Death Eaters that _enjoy_ killing." Hermione snapped. "I know they don't feel any remorse- they _like_ causing pain. It's not stupid. It's honest."

Draco's hands suddenly caught her face. She felt him turn her head up- then his lips were crushing against hers. His tongue pressed against her lips and she gasped. It was in her mouth. She felt a sound in her throat but she didn't know what it was. He pulled away too soon, thumbs stroking her cheeks. "Too honest, witch… You really should have gone."

Hermione felt butterflies in her stomach. She bit her lip, more than a little surprised. Where had that come from? One of his hands went to her waist, his palm felt hot through her shirt. The other hand brought her face back to his. That wicked tongue stroked her lip lightly before he said, "Stop doing that…"

Then he was kissing her again, tongue in her mouth. And she liked the feeling. And she enjoyed the way he tasted. And she was kissing him back. Hermione slid her arms from around his chest to around his neck. Draco suddenly stopped, holding her shoulders and pulling her back. "Bellatrix is bound to think I'll use you tonight. She hinted as much, to mask the pain of what I…" he swallowed, forcing himself to keep talking. "...she knows it hurt. I couldn't hide it. We have to come up with something now." Hermione felt him take her wrist in hand. "I've thought of a few things. We need to practice." Her head hadn't switched over to thinking ability yet. Hermione stopped him by putting her head on his chest, trying to clear her head. Draco tensed. "Didn't you hear me? I said-"

"Give me a minute," Hermione growled, "Draco… I can't think straight when you…" she felt herself blush. He cursed softly- she wasn't entirely sure why.

"You're such a terrible liar, Granger," he let go of her wrist and felt his fingers in her hair. "...how the hell are we going to pull this off?"

She was ready after a few moments. The right hand was used to indicate how they would fight. Pushes, slaps, punches, shoves, even something to yell and throw books- Draco made it very clear he wanted her to resist and to fight. All through one hand of communication that couldn't be seen. Pressure from the palm. One finger digging into her wrist. Two. Three. Four. Thumb on her palm. It was very convincing after an hour or so. There was one big problem. If he actually managed to kiss her, if he actually got his mouth on her, then she forgot everything. All the fight went out of her, and it didn't matter what signal he tried to give. She couldn't think.

After that had happened the third time, Draco cursed, resting his forehead against hers. "Fuck… This isn't going to work. You're basically giving me permission to keep going when you forget like that."

"Can't help it," Hermione muttered, "I'm sorry… It's just that I… kind of…" she felt her cheeks go very red and refused to say anything more.

"You just what? Sorry is useless, spit it out. We have to fix this."

"I... I like it when you kiss me." Hermione admitted quietly. "I can't fight anymore… because I… I like it." He pulled away to stare at her. Hermione felt her face flush. She wanted to hide.

"We're going to have to use that, then," Draco muttered, eyes examining her face carefully. "...you're going to have to trust me. If you're such a bad liar… then we can't prepare everything ahead of time." He fell silent for a long moment, looking at her eyes, a calculating expression on his face. A sigh escaped his lips and he shook his head, breaking eye contact to look down at the floor. His left hand came up and he taught her a new sign. "This means sorry…"

"Why are you teaching me that?" Hermione muttered, confused.

"... I'm going to have to say some cruel things to you... and you're going to be pretty exposed when I say them." Draco said quietly, eyes still calculating. "I think I understand what he did with that veritaserum now. You can't lie consistently… but your reactions are _painfully_ honest."

That was an awful thought. She swallowed hard, tensing. What did he already know he could say that would hurt her?

"Pick something to tell me when you've had enough," Draco said softly, still staring at the floor. "If it's gone way past your comfort zone... I'll figure out a way to stop."

"What if I can't remember?" Hermione muttered worriedly. Why wouldn't he look at her now?

"You're going to have to try…" his voice was quiet. "Otherwise, I'll have to decide on my own."

Hermione took her hand, lacing fingers with one of his, and gave a squeeze. That seemed like something she might be able to remember.

"Okay…" Draco squeezed her hand back. His face came back to hers. Harder. Cooler. She didn't like that expression. It almost seemed like he was bracing himself. "Let's try again. You'd better fight damn hard to keep me from kissing you, for as long as you can. Understood?"

She nodded. They started over. It felt like hours. He kept her at it until the touches became reflexive, but he stopped putting his mouth on her when he had the chance. Instead, they kept rehearsing, starting over and over again. They would see if it was enough. If they saw the door open, they both had a sign to warn the other it was time. They only stopped long enough to heal the bruises they had given each other through the fighting rehearsal. Hermione had many along her forearms. Draco had several to his face and shoulders.

Narcissa came with dinner. Hermione was tucked into a chair at the fire, making herself as small as possible. When Narcissa embraced her son, Hermione felt a stab of pain for his family. How long had they been forced to live this way? After several long moments, the guard cleared his throat. Draco waited until the footsteps had been long faded before seizing the note hiding under the dinner tray. He read it quickly and then moved across the room to throw it into the fire.

"Tomorrow night," Draco said quietly. "...we're going to be spied on again tomorrow night."

Hermione nodded nervously, moving to stand and walk to the dinner table. Her heart intensely thudded in her chest. She couldn't breathe. The entire room felt crooked. What was wrong with her?! Draco caught her before she fell to the floor. "Panic attack," Draco said quietly, helping her to rest her back against the couch. "Easy, Granger..." Panic attack?! What would happen if she had a panic attack tomorrow night?! He seemed to read her mind. "This would fall into the category of your painfully honest reactions, Granger… think about something else for now." Something else. She couldn't think about anything else. He sat next to her, "I know. Stupid to say...this will pass... Just try to breathe." She closed her eyes. And she tried.

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	6. Chapter 6: The first spy

Content Warning: Lemons

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Chapter 6: The first spy

Hermione tried not to think. That was about as effective as telling a fish not to swim. Her brain wouldn't turn off. It was well past midnight. She couldn't read. The panic attack had subsided, and she had tried to eat. It had just upset her stomach. She had moved to every possible sitting area in the room, and tried to read about twenty different books. No good. Now she was pacing around in a circle, book in hand, words unread, attempting to shut down her mind.

"Alright, now you're getting on my nerves." Draco growled suddenly. "That's enough." Hermione jumped as Draco's book shut with a soft click and he threw it down at the table, stalking over to her. "Really?" He pulled the book from her hands, shaking it at her slightly before throwing it down next to his. It was the first time she noticed it was upside down. He crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at her. "You're going to be a basket-case by tomorrow night at this rate. Just lay down, take a sleeping potion."

She shook her head no, hands on her hips. "I've been drugged to sleep for days, Draco. I don't want it anymore!"

"I don't care what you want right now- you're making me anxious, witch." He nodded his head at the path she'd been following, "This pacing is driving us both mad."

"I don't know what else to do," Hermione snapped, crossing her arms over her chest and resuming her pacing, speaking quickly. "I can't stop thinking. My brain doesn't just turn off when I tell it to!" His expression shifted slightly. She almost didn't recognize that face. That look made her angry. Was he amused? She didn't understand why. "What?" she snapped, stopping to glare at him with her hands on her hips again. Draco didn't move or say anything. "_What?_" she repeated irritably.

He walked to her and put both of his hands on her elbows, then slid his fingers down her arms to her hands. Hermione felt her shoulders relax slightly. What was he doing? Draco pulled her gently to sit on the couch, his body turned to face hers. "What are you so afraid of?"

"Do you _really_ need to ask?" Hermione felt her heart thudding painfully in her chest again.

"Probably not," he said calmly, thumb stroking the back of her hand. "Maybe getting it out of your head will help. You've got to try something besides pacing."

Her lips pursed for a moment before the words tumbled out. "I'm afraid this won't work- that I'll mess it up- that I don't know what you're going to do- that it's going to be awful- that the spy will recognize it's just for show- that I'll have a panic attack and mess everything up- that-"

Draco put his thumb to her lips and she paused, her stomach flipping suddenly. "It _will_ work." He said calmly. "You're going to mess up. I won't. I can't tell you what I'm going to do. It's going to be awful. The spy won't figure it out. You're going to have a panic attack, during, or after, and it'll pass. It won't mess anything up." His hand slid from her face. "What else?"

Hermione stared at him, her mind strangely blank after feeling his thumb on her skin. She licked her lips, then frowned. That wasn't fair. Why could he shut up her brain in two seconds when she hadn't been able to in six hours? And he'd countered every thought. It wasn't what she wanted to hear, true… but it was honest. There was also one strange, lingering fear that she was afraid to voice. She tore her eyes away from his, pulling her hands away to cross her arms over her chest.

"What else?" he repeated, one arm falling behind her on the couch. "Y'know, your face really is too honest for your own good. Maybe I should start teaching you how to lie." She really didn't want to say it. Hermione tried to ignore the question. Her face turned back to him and then she froze. He was so close. When had he gotten that close? "What else?" he asked again, softer, eyes locked to her lips.

"I'm afraid that I'll like what you do." There. The words were out. Hermione felt herself go red. She quickly turned her head away from him. His fingers lightly caught her chin and pulled her back to him, thumb stroking her lip again.

"You're sure as hell not going to like what I say…" he muttered before kissing her, gently, pulling away slowly, "...but I kinda hope you like what I do."

Then, he was kissing her again, and Hermione couldn't think. There was no room for fear. His lips just felt good. His tongue erased words from her mind. Their bodies tangled together, and somehow, she was under him on the couch. His lips trailed across her cheek and down her neck. That was good. "What else?" he muttered against her neck, pressing his lips against her skin softly.

"I can't remember," Hermione muttered, shivering.

"Good." Draco's teeth suddenly nipped at her neck, and then his tongue followed. That was _very_ good. Her hands caught his shoulders, fingers digging in slightly. "Just… try to remember _this_, tomorrow..." he fell silent, resting his head against her shoulder, "...okay?"

She nodded, hands tracing up his neck to the back of his head, pulling him gently back to meet her lips. Now, she was tired. Sleep might come now. He withdrew, and she pressed her forehead against his and nodded again. They both stood and wandered to the bed. Hermione was a little surprised that he held her hand all the way there, and gave it a gentle squeeze before letting go.

There next day passed in a blink. She was grateful he'd been so gentle. Later, it was hard to remember him that way.

"What did you just say?" Draco snapped angrily from across the room. Hermione jumped, tightening her grasp on the book in her hand, heart in her throat. That was his signal. She didn't dare look at the door.

"I didn't say anything," Hermione protested immediately- honestly.

"Were you _reading_ that damn book out loud?" Draco spat, the chair he had been leaning back in at the table thudding loudly on the floor. He stomped over to her. She squeaked in surprise, startled at the noise, unable to move.

"I- I wasn't!" Hermione argued, voice small. She shook her head no, "I didn't say anything!"

His hand caught her wrist. _Throw the book._ Hermione quickly threw it at his face and ducked under his arm, going back the way he had come. Draco cursed as the book hit him. He whirled on her furiously. "How _dare_ you throw things at me."

"Don't touch me," Hermione breathed, shaking slightly. Was it a panic attack coming? Or adrenaline? She didn't know. The door was cracked. She could see it from the corner of her eye. Hermione quickly picked up the next thing that reached her fingers. Another book. When had he set them up around the room?

"Don't touch you? Why the hell do you think you're here, in _my_ room, idiot?" Draco hissed through clenched teeth. "It's sure as hell not a vacation." He caught her wrist again. _Push._

Hermione obeyed. He kept his grip. It wasn't hard enough. She dropped the book, prying at his fingers, pulling her arm back, pushing him away harder. He stumbled back this time. She scrambled away from him, ducking as he threw the book she'd dropped at her. "No!" Hermione swatted the book away- but then he was back. His wrist caught her shoulder. _Slap_. Her hand shot out and caught him across the face. She backed away, her back hitting the bedpost. Shit. Anytime her back hit something, he got to her lips quickly. Hermione tried to step away, but Draco growled furiously and caught her forearms with both hands. He pressed her back harder against the post. Hermione struggled. No good. She was trapped. He pinned her arms to her chest, she turned her face away from him.

"C'mon now… you know you'll like it…" he hissed, squeezing her forearms almost painfully. "You know you _want_ this… why fight it?" He used her own hands to turn her face up to him. Hermione could feel his hot breath on her lips. _Shove._

Hermione shoved him away with all her strength, gasping in surprise when he didn't let go of her arms. He fell to the ground. She fell on top of him, straddling his lap as she fell. He laughed coldly, pulling her arms out to the side on top of him. "That eager for it, are you, you filthy little mudblood?"

His lips met hers. Hermione panicked. She pulled away quickly, trying to keep her senses. He wasn't giving her any signals. Draco suddenly and painfully flipped her. She couldn't move. He had her wrists pinned to the ground. This time, his lips felt like they were bruising hers. Hermione tried to think. She tried to remember that she was supposed to be fighting him. Even as she tried, she felt herself moan against his lips. This kiss wasn't gentle- it wasn't kind- but damn it, she liked the feeling of his lips on her. Did it matter how?

"Say you like it," he hissed when he pulled away from her mouth. His knee dug into her thigh harshly. She sucked in a sharp breath at the pain. "_Say_ it."

"I like it," she whispered breathlessly, confused, not sure what was happening now.

"Beg for more," he growled, kissing her again, softer this time.

"More," she mouthed against his lips, barely able to speak, heart in her throat.

Draco pinned both her hands with one arm, his hand came to the neck of her shirt and pulled harshly. The fabric dug into the back of her neck. She cried out in pain- and the fabric tore. From neck to stomach, the fabric shredded. Hermione felt herself go blood red and struggled against him. "No!" she cried out, feeling tears in her eyes. His hand palmed against her side gently. _I'm sorry._

"You just said you liked it," Draco laughed cruelly as the words crossed his lips. "What's the matter, you're not a virgin are you?" Hermione felt tears well in her eyes. Draco's breathing caught slightly. "...you _are_… damn it, I lost a bet…" The hand pinning her wrists turned. His grip kept her down, but now that hand palmed _I'm sorry_ against her forearm. His other hand was on her breast, fingers brushing her nipple through her bra. She closed her eyes, turning her head away from him, feeling ashamed as a rush of pleasure shot through her entire body at that touch.

"Say you like it," Draco growled. Hermione felt the tears break down her cheeks. She shook her head no, biting her lip. He pinched. A moan escaped her lips- but it wasn't pain. Hermione struggled, managed to catch his hand and squeezed hard. He squeezed back. He laughed at her again. "That'll do just fine…" His lips crushed against hers again. Both hands now. _I'm sorry. I'm sorry._

He put all his weight in one of her arms pinned above her head. She cried out in real pain this time. That was the _only_ bone he hadn't mended from the Crucio, and he hadn't told her why. The agony radiated from her arm to her shoulder, and suddenly her head was pounding. He recoiled sharply, frowning. "Still? How long does it take your fucking body to heal?"

She was hyperventilating now. The panic attack was there. Draco made a sound of disgust, standing off of her. Hermione quickly scrambled away from him until her back hit a wall, shaking. "Go clean yourself up," Draco spat, "I don't want to listen to you cry. I only want to hear you beg."

Hermione fled to the bath chamber, slamming the door shut, and collapsed in a corner, vision darkening, sobs suddenly choking her, tears falling, hard and fast down her cheeks. She wasn't sure how long she sat there, alone, but eventually the door opened and shut silently. A wand touched her shirt. It repaired instantly. Cold glass was pushed into her hands, "Drink."

She shook her head no violently, almost dropping the glass, pulling her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them and hiding her face. His hand smoothed her hair, his lips pressed gently against the top of her head. She felt his hand shaking. "I'm sorry, I'm…" he whispered into her hair, "Hermione… please… it's just water. It'll help. Drink."

This time, she took the glass and drank deeply. The cold did douse some of the fierce embarrassment lighting her insides on fire. Then, she dropped the glass. It shattered on the floor between them, digging into her knees as she sat up and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest, shaking, crying. He hissed softly between his teeth at the sound of the glass crunching under her body. Draco's arms lifted her. He carried her out to the counter by the sink and set her down, pulling out his wand to heal her bloody knees. Hermione couldn't stop shaking. He wiped the tears from her face with his thumbs.

"...I'll understand if you want me to leave you alone." Draco said quietly when he was done. He couldn't meet her eyes.

She didn't want that. Being alone had been awful just now. It was better with him here. "No. Stay." Hermione impulsively took his face in both hands and brought him closer, resting her forehead against his, whispering, speaking in a rush. "Fix it. Say it was a lie. Tell me all of that was the act. I need to hear you say it."

"It was a lie. I was acting," he responded immediately in an almost silent voice, hands falling to rest on her waist. "What else?"

"Did you really lose a bet?"

"Yes." She slapped him. "Deserved that." Draco looked playfully amused when his eyes met hers again. "Are you really a virgin?" She slapped him again. "Deserved that, too." He winced as he turned back to her- his cheek was an angry red. "What else?"

"I don't know." she muttered, leaning forward again and resting her head against his shoulder. His hands hesitatingly moved, one hand stroking her hair, the other lightly holding her hand in her lap. "...why'd you take it that far?"

"It was convincing."

"It was humiliating," Hermione muttered, squeezing his hand tightly.

_I'm sorry._ His hand moved automatically in her hair. "...you said you were afraid that you would like what I did… well?" Draco asked quietly.

"Should I just keep slapping you?" Hermione growled irritably, lifting her head to look up at him. Her heart thudded in her chest when she met his eyes. He wasn't trying to make fun of her. "… you know that I did… why do you keep making me say it?"

Draco laughed nervously before swallowing hard. "I wanted to hear you say it without being forced." He rested his forehead against hers, releasing a tense breath. Hermione took his face in her hands and tried to kiss him. Draco stiffened. "I _really _shouldn't." She ignored him, kissing him lightly.

His lips pressed against hers harder immediately, hungrily. His tongue pressed against hers, and his hands were suddenly caressing the skin under her shirt at her waist, one hand snaking palm flat up her shirt, along her side, almost reaching her breast. She tensed in surprise. He pulled away from her sharply, releasing her, stepping away. "Granger, don't! Just don't, damn it…"

Hermione stood, walking to him, a sudden thought in her brain. "... did you like what you did to me, Draco?"

He froze at the question and his face went pink, then red. For a moment, he didn't respond. "Just keep hitting me..." he muttered, fists clenching at his sides. "I don't regret getting my hands on you. I enjoyed that a lot more than I should've."

Hermine took his hands and put them back under her shirt at her sides. He stared at her, licking his lips. "Bad idea..." His hands started snaking up her body again. "..._seriously_… bad idea…"

"Don't humiliate me this time." Hermione whispered, arms wrapping around his neck. She pulled him down to kiss, her tongue pressing against his lips.

Then she suddenly found her body pressed up against the counter behind her, his fingers digging into her waist to lift her up on the counter, pressing his body between her legs. One hand moved to rest flat against the counter as he leaned into her. The other was soon on her breast, palming over her bra. When his fingers pinched her nipple lightly, she moaned into his mouth again.

Draco broke the kiss, trailing his lips to her ear. "Merlin, that's a delicious sound, witch…" he kissed down her neck and bit her, too lightly.

"Harder," she muttered. Her fingers dug into him when he obeyed. She was a little surprised when both his hands were suddenly unclasping her bra under her shirt. But then it was done and his palm was sliding around to her front on her bare skin. She moaned again as his fingers pinched and pulled.

"Hold on," he growled into her ear as she gasped. His hands caught her thighs and pulled her up against his chest. She wrapped her legs around him and held tightly as they walked from the bath chamber to the bedroom. He pushed her back onto the bed, kissing her. His hand was pushing her shirt up out of the way and then his mouth and his tongue and his teeth replaced his pinching fingers.

She writhed, one hand fisting in the sheets, another in his hair. That felt sinful. "Such a bad idea," he whispered before moving to her other breast. That one was more sensitive. Her back arched, she held her breath. Everything felt too hot. He stopped suddenly, resting his forehead between her breasts. "Anyone ever tell you, you have the softest skin?" She shook her head no. "How about you feel the difference?" He was sitting up, pulling his own shirt off, then his fingers paused at the edge of her shirt. "...okay?" She nodded, voice lost as she sat up. He pulled her shirt away. She slid out of her bra, leaning with her elbows behind her.

Then both of them were staring at each other. His hands went from her sides, all the way down, eyes following, then all the way back up. "Stunning…" Hermione flushed as the word escaped his lips, she wasn't sure if he realized he said that out loud.

Her palm spread out over his chest and followed the worst of the scarring. Draco closed his eyes and held his breath at her touch. She paused, pulling her hand away slightly. "Does it hurt?"

"No. It's good," he spoke quietly, putting his hand over here to keep her there. Then he brought her hand to his mouth and kissed each of her fingertips, before taking one playfully in his mouth.

She squeaked in surprise, trying to pull away. That sensation did strange things in her body. Her knees pressed together, trying to close. He was in the way. Draco made a curious sound, she saw him breathing harder. "Painfully honest reactions… damn, that's sexy." His mouth sucked in a finger again, his tongue sending delightful sensations through her body.

Hermione caught his hand resting nearby and kissed his knuckles softly be before mimicking his trick. Draco snapped. Suddenly his body crushed against hers, pinning her to the bed, and his lips and tongue were making her melt, and his _hand_ pressed hard between her legs, repeatedly. She whimpered, twisting her hips against his hand. His bare chest was rough against her skin. This all felt too good.

He stopped suddenly, resting his head against hers. "I'm just going to keep pushing, if you don't tell me to stop." His hand hadn't stopped between her legs. "I've got no off switch, it's gotta be you."

The door burst open. They both jumped. Draco leapt off of her. Hermione grabbed a sheet and pulled it over her bare chest. Snape stood there. She covered her face with the sheet, suddenly flooded with embarrassment. The doors slammed shut. Hermione didn't move.

"It was demanded that I give this to you to assist the healing of your… _practice_ woman." Snape's tone was cruel. "But perhaps it is no longer needed?"

"It's not what it looks like-" Draco started quietly.

"Oh?" Snape walked closer, placing something down on the night table, and a hand roughly pulled the sheet away. "It looks like you were on your way to third base, unless I am mistaken?" Hermione crossed both arms over her chest, flushing darkly.

Snape was yanked away. Draco stood in front of her- a hand behind his back pushed his shirt to her. His body blocked her from sight, wand in hand. "Don't you fucking touch her."

Hermione scrambled to put his shirt on to cover herself. Neither man moved.

"Possessive of your toys, are you?" Snape spat icily. "Amusing." His tone dropped to a deadly whisper. "I will _not_ tolerate this kind of behavior. Taking advantage of a witch is worse than any unforgivable-"

"He wasn't taking advantage," Hermione spoke quickly, standing by Draco's side. Catching his free hand, she laced her fingers with his, squeezing gently. "...it's not like that."

Snape's eyes flickered to her, then back to Draco. "Disgusting." He sneered at them both. "I expected you to have better taste, Miss Granger." With that, he turned and slammed the door on his way out.

"Well that's one way to kill a mood," Draco growled irritably, pocketing his wand and turning to her. His eyes took one look at her in his shirt and his face softened. "...and that's one hell of a way to get it back…"

"I-I need to stop." Snape's intrusion had shaken her. Draco's hands had felt so good, she hadn't wanted to stop. If he hadn't burst in, they probably would have kept going… and she would've kept wanting more. That surprised her. She needed some time to figure that out in her head.

"Got it." Draco said quietly. "Fuck me… almost got it." He took her face in both hands and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "You look too good in that shirt."

She blushed when he knelt to take her bra and shirt in hand to give to her. "I need a cold shower." Draco hissed, walking past her to the bath chamber. Hermione quickly changed out of his shirt once she heard the water start.

There had been a lot between them the past couple of days. Hermione ran her hands through her hair, staring at the door of the bath chamber. Maybe she needed a cold shower after him.

_Or with him? _Merlin that was a naughty thought! A fantasy ripped through her mind before she could stop it. She covered her face with both hands, shaking her head. What in the hell was wrong with her?

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	7. Chapter 7: Magic

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Chapter 7: Magic

Bellatrix wanted information. Draco was going to be forced to torture her tomorrow. He had walked her through what would happen, and they had already decided the information she would give, and when, and how. They knew how many real Crucio curses he would use, and how many Imperio.

"Just… don't look at me… not unless it's killing you to keep going." Draco finally said after they'd made the plan. "...I can't take looking at you while I do this."

Hermione memorized the pattern he'd planned. His strategy was to keep torture short and simple. Two Crucio. One Imperio. An answer to his question. Two Crucio. One Imperio. An answer to his question. Two Crucio. One Imperio. An answer to his question. It was familiar with his regular method- the one Bellatrix had come to expect. For most prisoners, he'd do this on and on until Bellatrix decided he was done… or his victim died. Draco refused to tell her how many. He grew very withdrawn just admitting that.

By the time he was cursing her, and she was screaming, she understood. It was working, but the problem was that his Crucio had gotten much stronger. It didn't matter if he kept it short. It didn't matter that the Imperio interrupted. By the time she answered the second question, blood was in her mouth and she was struggling to keep breathing. Her eyes locked to his when he raised his wand again.

Draco froze. His wand fell. He put a hand over his eyes, stumbling to the wall of the dungeon-like chamber. Bellatrix watched it. She narrowed her eyes. "Draco-?"

"Mother?" Draco rasped. He shook his head, looking back to Hermione. He caught her eyes again. Hermione couldn't look away. She had no strength. "What the fuck is happening?" He went extremely pale and shook his head no, covering his eyes again. "Aunt Bella, that's enough… I just had a vision of my mother in her place. She's going to die if I keep going."

"Since when have you had visions?" Bellatrix scoffed. She didn't believe him.

"Started this year. It's only my family," Draco muttered, "I see my Father in strange places, searching for traitors. I see my Mother in the gardens. It's scattered. Never had a waking vision." He swallowed hard, shaking his head no behind his hand. "This is the first time I've seen her here…"

Bellatrix exhaled slowly. "Curious… Cissy has that now. I thought it was Mother's Magic… but if it's happening with you, too… interesting... It makes me wonder if Lucius has also developed such an ability…" Words flowed but Hermione had to close her eyes now. "...I will summon Severus and your Mother to assist in her healing... but it may be a while. You will have to keep the mudblood alive. You must be stronger, now, Draco, you're breaking them so much faster. We got some information out of her. Seems it's all dated now, anyway. She's an obsolete source of information."

Bellatrix turned to leave. Draco took his time to gather Hermione in his arms. He walked at a calm pace through the halls. Never rushing. Hermione couldn't breathe. By the time he got to his chamber and the door shut, she felt like she was drowning.

He moved _quickly_. Draco laid her down on the floor and drew his wand immediately, singing the song, focusing on her right lung. Tears slid down his face as he worked. Hermione had no more tears. She took a strangled gasp of air when he finished three repetitions of the spell for that side. Then she started to cough. He ignored it, quickly moving to her other lung.

She took in deep, long gasps of air when he had finished. She'd never been so grateful for oxygen.

Draco took her hand in his, trying to be gentle. The pain flared through her fingertips anyway. He gently held them together around the wand. "Do the healing spell with me. Let's see if it does anything differently."

She did it, and the strangest thing happened. Draco froze when they finished. "What the-?" Magic flowed from his body to hers, green. Then he suddenly swayed where he sat, barely catching himself. "Holy shit…" he whispered. "Granger… you just used my body as a wand." He was shivering. "That… that was… weird…"

Hermione sat up slowly, still aching, but better. That odd piece of magic worked. "Again," Draco held her hand in his. "That was way more effective together than alone."

"We don't know what channeling magic through your body could do to you," Hermione argued.

"I am never going to forgive myself for what I just did to you, unless I can take some of that pain away." He argued back. "I'm okay, I think I can handle it again. It doesn't hurt. It's just weird."

She frowned but soon relented. The second time the magic flowed through him, he cursed, grimacing as the green energy floated from his body to hers. "I thought you said it didn't hurt!"

"Doesn't. That's fucking _good._" Draco spoke through clenched teeth.

Hermione tried to stand. Pain flared through her hip. She cried out in pain, closing her eyes, pressing her hands against it.

"When you can stand, we stop, alright?" Draco took her hand in his again.

This time when the magic went through him, he shuddered, "...that's bloody addictive," he muttered. "Can you stand?"

She tried. They had to heal her together once more before she could. It was still difficult, but with his help she managed to get to the bed. His hands felt different on her skin. Using him as a wand had shifted something. Draco went into a strange trance for a moment, holding her hand and staring at it when she was finally sitting still in bed. An odd sensation swam through her body at that touch. An occasional electric wave pulsed between them. She theorized it must've been raw magic flowing between their bodies. It made them both hold their breath. The strangeness only broke when her other hand gently pushed him away. He shook his head, bringing a hand to his skull for a moment and closing his eyes.

"Don't know what that was," Draco muttered, raising his wand to summon potions. He gave her every healing potion that didn't cause drowsiness. She slept, but without the aid of a dreamless sleep draft. She'd made it very clear to him that she needed a break from those.

A Death Eater came to update Draco hours later. The sound of voices woke her, but she didn't move. Severus was out on a mission. He wouldn't be available for days. His Mother was entertaining guests of the Dark Lord. She wasn't allowed to come.

Hermione was much better off by the time she sat up. Healing her body together took a lot less energy. Lingering pain was manageable from the potions. Her body desperately wanted a shower to wash away the sensation of his attacks. The water felt heavenly on her skin. It wasn't until she finished the shower that she remembered she hadn't grabbed a change of clothes.

Hermione was wearing a bathrobe as she walked out in the room, toweling her wet hair. Draco was sitting on the couch, reading a book. He looked over his shoulder at the sound of the door opening. She saw him put down his book, moving to walk past her so she could change. Behind him, the bedroom door cracked open silently. Hermione backed in to the door of the bath chamber, it clicked shut. He paused. She shook her head no, swallowing hard, trying to speak. "...I thought… you said… not if I'm damaged..."

It was her line. Her warning if she saw the door. It was hard to get it out. She felt a million times more vulnerable, naked under the robe. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Channeling her magic through him had done something very strange. She wasn't ready to know what it had done when he kissed her.

The tension rose between them. "I did say that," Draco muttered softly, continuing to walk towards her. His eyes were harder now, expression guarded. "I decided that I'm not going to break you, Granger… screams, tears, not really my cup of tea." He took his time to lean an arm above her body, hand on the side of her head, out of sight of the door. Hermione felt a strange shock from his hand as it palmed _I'm sorry_ first. His other hand went to the tie of her robe. "Decided I don't like the fighting… You'll be absolutely _begging _for it by the time we get there."

"Don't do this," Hermione whispered, frozen. She felt his hand untying her robe. The hand on her hair tried to communicate. _Shove_. She heard it, but she couldn't move. The fear wasn't feigned at all- and she wasn't in control of it. _Shove._ She shook her head no.

"Seriously… don't do this…" She meant it. This felt terrible. This was worse than the other night. _Slap._ His expression became concerned, the act fading. He knew she was actually afraid. _Hit me._ She shook her head no harder, tears welling in her eyes. Her body wasn't listening. _Hit me._ Why was she so scared this time? Her legs were shaking. _Push. Shove. Hit. Slap. _"...please…no..." His eyes softened. He saw how much she didn't want to do this. _I'm sorry_. Thank god the spy couldn't see his face right now.

_Push_. She couldn't move. The robe fell open. One hand lightly ran up her bare side. She held her breath. _Hit me. _"Looks like you agree? No more fighting?" _Slap._ She _couldn't_ move. Hermione closed her eyes, two tears breaking down her face. She couldn't _move_. "Now, now, what did I just say?" His thumb moved to brush the tears away, then tilted her head up by the chin. "No tears."

"Please... don't do this." Hermione whispered, hands pressing against his chest as his lips came closer to hers, "Draco…" she closed her eyes, two more tears sliding down her face. She could feel his breath on her face. "_Don't_." His lips met hers. It was soft- it was gentle. Both hands moved. _I'm sorry. I'm sorry._

And then it happened. That electric pulse of energy went through their lips and the hand at her side. Her knees buckled. He caught her, both hands on bare skin under her robe. Both hands now sent that curious feeling through her body. Hermione couldn't take it. She tried pulling away. Draco didn't listen. He opened her mouth with his tongue and the sensation of magic flowing between them got even stronger.

This kiss was too much. She whimpered slightly against his mouth, turning her head away. The magic ceased flowing for a blessed moment. Then, he had her in his arms, and soon he had her down on the bed. His mouth found hers as his body pinned her there. Strangely, now it felt like the other night on the couch. The fear that had flooded her mind completely dissipated when his tongue met hers. She forgot to think. She forgot to be afraid. And she was kissing him back.

His mouth moved away, tracing kisses along her neck. _I'm sorry._ When his hand slid down the front of her body, he pressed his open palm over her heart. The flooding magic pulsed there and in every vein of her body for one terrifyingly blissful moment. Draco was right. That _was_ addictive. Her entire body shuddered and suddenly, "Oh God, Draco!" escaped from her lips without any control.

The door creaked open further. Loudly. Draco suddenly sat up off the bed, "What the fuck-?!" It slammed shut and footsteps were heard, rushing away. He launched himself off the bed, flinging open the door, yelling and following, slamming the door shut. He was gone for a long time. The second he stopped touching her, all the awful fear came back, punching her in the stomach. Hermione lay there, heart pounding painfully in her throat, staring at the ceiling, frozen. Eventually she heard footsteps returning outside the door. Her hands quickly found the edges of her robe and pulled it shut.

Draco slammed the door shut when he came back. She was still laying there, staring at the ceiling, heart in her throat. Not much had changed since he had left. She felt numb. Frozen. Shocked. Why? Why had this rattled her so much more? "Hermione," Draco took her by the shoulders and sat her up quickly. "Are you alright?"

She said nothing, struggling to re-tie the robe. Her hands were shaking. He pushed them away gently. Draco pulled his wand out of his pocket and flicked it at her. Hermione was now fully dressed- the robe hanging up next to her side of the bed where it had been. Draco wrapped his arms around her and held her to his chest. She could hear his heart hammering just as hard as hers.

Draco's voice surprised her. "Hermione… that was awful. You really meant it. Every time you said it, you _meant _it… and I still..." He held her tighter. "I told Bellatrix that her fucking spy was ruining everything. I think she'll back off a little now." Hermione nodded against his chest, still unable to do much more. The magic pulsed where his hands touched her arms. Her body tensed, unable to take any more of that right now. She pulled away, walking to stand in front of the fire, arms crossed hard across her chest.

"Tell me how to fix it," Draco leaned against the edge of the fireplace, arms crossed as well. She turned to meet his eyes for a moment and then looked away.

She stared at the flames in the fireplace. "...tell me you didn't enjoy it that time."

"...I can only say that, if you want me to lie to you." Draco said honestly. "I will _never_ regret having my hands on you. I hate myself for doing it when you didn't want it… but I enjoy it, every single time." Her fists clenched. That wasn't what she wanted him to say. He kept going. "In fact… I enjoyed it even more that time, with whatever the hell my body is doing after being a wand. I would do it again in a heartbeat."

She slapped him extra hard for that. He didn't resist when she did it three or four more times. He just took it, and turned his head back to meet her eyes every time. She hit him again. And again. Until his cheek looked red and bruised. Hermione felt herself trembling as she looked at him. "That's absolutely wicked, Draco."

"I _am_ wicked, Granger," Draco said quietly, reaching a hand to hers and pulling her against his chest. "It's your misfortune that you took a liking to the taste." Hermione felt his lips on her cheek. "...I regret I couldn't think of a better way out of that for you."

Her anger softened. She bowed her head. That could've been worse… that could have been so much worse. It hadn't been bad once he was touching her- it had been good, if she were honest. She didn't really understand why she'd frozen like that, or why she'd felt a no so strongly.

Her body slowly relaxed into him, one fist resting on his chest, the other hand lightly lacing with his. One of his hands lightly stroked her hair in the silence. The magic pulsed unexpectedly at their hands, for a split second then it was gone. They both held their breath. "Hermione," Draco whispered- his hand held hers tighter for a moment. "Hermione- how _can't_ you like that?"

"It's not about not liking it. I really wasn't ready for it… how did you know that would work?"

"Didn't. Guessed. Hoped you'd react so the door would open wider. I messed with the hinges." He paused for a moment. "...are you ready for it now?"

"...you're full of bad ideas, Draco." Hermione slowly undid the top few buttons of his shirt and slid her hand to his bare chest, over his heart.

"Can I put my hand under your shirt?" He asked, part mocking and teasing, part seriously asking. The hand that had been on her hair slid down her back, fingertips lingering at the edge of her shirt.

Hermione blushed slightly. She hadn't even thought to ask him. "Why are you asking?"

"...just don't want to push you anymore," he muttered softly. "I'll listen if you say no this time."

He would. She knew that. But she didn't want to say no. "I'll remember that. Right now, I'm saying yes."

His hand gently slid up her side, palming her breast briefly before his open palm stretched over her heart. "This felt really intense when you did it." She warned quietly, fingers pressing flat to his chest. His heart was suddenly hammering brutally hard. "...are you okay?"

"No," he replied quietly. "Panic attack. It'll pass."

"Why now?" Hermione was surprised.

"Dunno."

"I don't believe you."

"Fine. Can't tell you." He exhaled shakily and have her a slight grin. Strained. "It'll pass, Granger. Just let it." How could he still breathe and talk? It looked like nothing was wrong but his heart wasn't calming. "...can I kiss you when it happens?" The question surprised her. What was with him _asking_? The kiss earlier had magnified the magic between them. It would already be incredibly overwhelming just with their hands at their hearts.

"Not… not the first time," Hermione muttered. He nodded. Then it happened. For one intense second- her heart was flooded with that magical everything. Her entire body thrummed with it. Her hand pressed harder against his chest in that second. Draco cried out, his body arching slightly. The hand holding hers squeezed tightly.

Then the sensation was gone. Both of them were shivering slightly. "There had to be some kind of law against this," Draco muttered softly.

"There isn't," Hermione replied, pressing her head against his shoulder. He released her hand and wrapped that arm at her waist. She slid her arm around his shoulder. Neither had moved the hand from their chests.

"You said... not the _first_ time," Draco's heart was still too fast. He turned his head, lips lightly brushing her forehead. "...this time?"

"Earlier, kissing made it linger, intensify…" Hermione spoke softly. She was already imagining that, and she couldn't decide if it was terrifying or exciting. Maybe it was both.

"That's exactly what I want," Draco admitted. "...I like it, Hermione." She was silent for a minute, debating. His hand began to pull away from her body.

"Wait-" the words were out of her mouth. His willingness _not_ to made her suddenly _want_ it. What was wrong with her? "I want it, too." His hand pressed against her heart again. She looked up at him. Why wasn't his heart calming? Hermione bit her lip softly.

His eyes flickered to her mouth. "Don't do that to me, witch." His lips pressed against hers. A strange combination of apprehension and excitement clenched in her body.

And when the magic coursed through them this time, she was suddenly breathless. Their lips were softly pressing the energy back and forth between each other. That was wild! She moaned softly and her fingers ran into his hair. Her tongue met his first. Draco's fingers dug into her waist and he shuddered. When the energy came back to her, she felt a sudden, consuming desire for more of his skin on hers. And more than this kiss. That was too much. She had to pull away, quickly resting her head against his shoulder. They were both trembling. Her hand slid off his chest, around him. His fell slowly to her waist, palm caressing her skin deliberately as he moved. Goosebumps followed that touch.

"Too good," Draco muttered, kissing her forehead. "...everything about you is too fucking good for me…"

"Shut it," Hermione muttered back, "Maybe I needed some of your bad ideas in my world, Draco."

He laughed, tightening his arms around her. "Is that so? Well then, in that case, I have a few more, if you're ready for them."

"I think I can only handle about one a day," Hermione felt herself smiling into his shoulder. His lips smirked against her forehead.

"Tomorrow, then." Draco kissed her forehead again. "I can wait that long." She blushed slightly and looked up at him. He looked playful. That was kind of fun, when it wasn't paired with the cruelty she'd seen at Hogwarts. It was attractive, even.

"You really are wicked, aren't you?" She teased, trying to bite back a smile. Didn't work.

"You actually like that about me, don't you?" He teased back, lips splitting into a grin.

"And what if I do?" Hermine raised an eyebrow at him.

His grin deepened. "Then you're damned, because I'll stop pretending I'm not."

She felt slightly confused. "What does that mean?"

Draco shook his head no, pulling her away from him, that smile only growing deeper into his cheeks. "Nope. You said one a day, Granger. You'll just have to wait and see."

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	8. Chapter 8: Freedom

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Chapter 8: Freedom

Draco woke her at a strange hour by, hissing her name urgently at the back of her head. She jumped, but then he was talking. "Don't move. Pretend you're asleep," he commanded in her ear. "But listen carefully to everything." He pulled away. Hermione felt tense. What was going on?

The door creaked open a few minutes later. "Draco- Draco where are you?!" Bellatrix.

"Here," Hermione heard footsteps, "What's wrong?"

"The mudblood- is she able to travel?"

"Yeah, just need a wakening draft. But why? What's happening?" Draco sounded confused.

"Prisoner exchange… they have my husband... And his brother. They have offered them back, for her safe return. The Dark Lord will not allow me to go myself." Bellatrix's breath caught. "...I am to be punished. That wretched Potter and his companion broke into my vault. They stole something the Dark Lord entrusted to me."

"Your vault? _Gringotts?! _Impossible!"

"Just bring them back to me, Draco." Bellatrix's voice shook slightly. "...bring them back alive."

"Done. Where can I get a wakening draft? How much time do we have?"

"Here. And within the hour. Hurry."

The door clicked shut. Hermione sat straight up, whirling around to face him. Draco stood, frozen, a potion bottle in his hand. He turned and walked to her quickly, summoning a chair at the edge of the bed. "She's frightened. This is going to go badly, Granger."

He started to pour the potion out. Just looking at the potion made her anxiety rise. She didn't need a wakening draft. "Don't give me that," Hermione said quickly.

"It's not for you. I can barely keep my eyes open, Granger. I can't think." Draco downed the cup and made a face. "So damn bitter… hell with it." He downed the second dose as well, slamming the cup down on the wooden nightstand.

"...how did you know she was coming?"

"House elf. Think he called himself Kreacher. Snuck in here. Warned me." Draco leaned forward against the table, holding his head between his hands, thinking out loud. "You can't go into this without a wand. They'll target you first… but I'll have to bind your hands. We'll hide a wand in the seam of your sleeve. Hopefully you can channel the magic without your hand on it. Maybe we can rip it open in the inside so it's at least touching your skin. That might help it answer to you. Fuck. It's hot out. It'll be suspicious if you're wearing sleeves. No. I'll just bind you tightly and slide it between the layers. More skin contact would be better. I have to go see if I can find something, quick."

"Draco-" Hermione felt a jolt of fear. "If I have a wand, and you're in charge of this exchange, they'll know it was you. You can't do this."

"You will be dead if I don't," he replied coldly. "I'm serious. What was your wand made out of? We don't have time to fuss with an incompatible match."

"Vinewood and Dragon Heartstring," Hermione answered, heart in her throat.

Draco went quiet. Then he nodded slowly. "...I think I know where I can find something like it. Pretend you're sleeping." He flicked his wand at the empty bottle of wakening draft. "I'll wake you when I get back."

He was gone in a blink. Hermione couldn't say if it had been five minutes or fifty by the time he returned. He emptied half the bottle of the wakening draft into thin air. "Stand up, Granger. Put your arms behind your back."

She obeyed. He stood behind her and tightly bound her arms. Then she felt something slide, pressing between the bonds. "Try to break it," Draco muttered. She did, and he caught the wand. "Good." He bound her again and hid the thin wood within the rope. "Time to go… but, Hermione…" he stood in front of her, taking her chin in his hand, he kissed her lightly, then rested his forehead against hers. "If anyone sees that wand in your hands… I'm dead. Keep it hidden as best as you can. If you start to hear owl calls, get the fuck down. I just found out that's the signal for the double cross."

Hermione nodded. Her heart was hammering in her throat. Her eyes were unexpectedly hot with tears. She was afraid. Afraid who might die in the next few minutes. "...you'd better come back to me when this is all over. Promise me, Draco."

"I don't make promises I can't keep." Hermione felt tears break down her cheeks. She heard him curse and then his lips pressed against the tears. "Alright, alright, I promise. Just stop crying. My nerves are already shot as it is."

They walked out- Hermione was shaking. She couldn't stop. Draco had a painful grip on her arm as he walked. They met with two other Death Eaters. When Draco put his hand in his pocket to apparate, Hermione felt extremely off balance. She had never done a side along apparition. Her breath expelled in a sudden whoosh when they landed in an open field. The sun hadn't risen yet. Across the field she saw three red haired figures. Bill, Charlie and Arthur Weasley came into focus. There were two sour looking men standing at their sides. Everyone slowly began to walk across the field.

Hermione strained her ears for the calls. At the center of the field, she heard it. Draco shoved her to the ground hard. Spells flew overhead. Hermione broke the bonds and started to stun every single hidden person she could find, keeping the wand out of sight as best as she could. More spells began to fire off from the Weasley's side.

Draco made a horrible sound. Hermione looked back at him quickly. He coughed- and blood rushed from his mouth. His chest was turning red. He collapsed. Hermione screamed. Narcissa suddenly appeared at his side. How?! Draco had her wand! Mother's Magic. Bellatrix's words pinged in her head strangely. How badly hurt must he have been for it to summon Narcissa here?! The woman collapsed over his body, sobbing uncontrollably. Hermione ran to him, horrified. He was so pale. There was so much blood.

"Hermione, come on-" someone was pulling at her. She clung to Narcissa and Draco.

"No!" Hermione screamed.

At the same time, Narcissa began prying at Draco's hands. "My wand- my wand, Draco. Where is it? I can't heal you without it!" Narcissa sobbed again as a terrible sound crossed his lips when he tried to breathe. More blood.

"Hermione, he's gone, come on-"

"Don't say that," Hermione felt herself panicking. She held his face in her hands and Narcissa snatched something from Hermione, "You found it. Thank Merlin."

Hermione stared at Draco's bloody face. He had given her Narcissa's wand? No. Tears broke down her cheeks. That meant he had walked into this completely defenseless. "You're so stupid," Hermione whispered.

"_Hermione-_"

"I can't." Hermione finally turned to meet Bill Weasley's eyes. "Bill, he saved my life. I can't leave without him. Help me. _Please._"

Bill stared at her for a moment. Then he cursed and quickly picked up Draco's left forearm. "Hold him down. This is really gonna hurt."

Bill blasted an awful spell into the dark mark. It began to burn out of his skin. Narcissa and Hermione held him down as he screamed, an awful, gurgling scream, and his body twisted in agony. Charlie appeared behind them. "Bill, what the fuck are you playing at?! Let's go!"

"Hold on to him, ladies."

Bill held both of their arms and apparated. Hermione and Narcissa both clung to Draco. Then they slammed to the ground. He was still screaming.

"Bill- why in the name of Merlin did you drag them along?"

Draco stopped screaming. The sudden silence was terrible. Narcissa began trying to sing the healing song. Her voice shook. Her hands shook.

"You're so fucking stupid!" Hermione screamed at Draco, unbuttoning his shirt rapidly to see the wound. It was terrible. Someone vomitted behind her. She closed her eyes and pressed her fingers into the wound at his chest. Draco groaned- she could hear an awful wetness in that sound. It turned her stomach.

Gasps around her. "Hermione, what the fuck are you doing?!"

Hermione started to sing the healing song. Her hands were glowing with raw magic. She kept singing and kept singing and kept singing, refusing to open her eyes, afraid that it wasn't working, afraid that Bill was right, and he was gone, and she didn't know how to process that.

"Stop." A weak hand caught her wrist.

Hermione's eyes snapped open. He was pale, he was deathly pale, but she felt the wound that had been there was gone. Just his chest. Just the scarring from the past. Nothing new. No more blood. She sobbed, taking his face in both hands, she kissed him repeatedly between every word. "You. Are. So. Fucking. Stupid. Why?" She could taste his blood on her lips. He'd nearly died. She collapsed against his chest, her body shaking with sobs. "_Why_?"

"Stop crying." Draco muttered, his hand lightly stroking her hair.

She sat up off of him slowly, hiccuping with sobs. Narcissa fell to embrace him. She was sobbing, too. Hermione rubbed her eyes with her hands, trying to get a grip.

"...is she under Imperio?" A familiar voice.

"Can't be. Would've broken when she crossed the barrier." It couldn't be.

"She's cracked, isn't she?"

"Your guess is as good as mine at this point, mate."

Hermione snapped her head to the side. "_Harry… Ron!" _More tears rushed down her face. She stood, and embraced both of them fiercely. They squeezed her back. She laughed, and she cried. Then Ginny was there, and Molly, and Arthur, and George, and Fred, and Tonks- so many friendly faces. Hermione was sobbing, collapsed on the floor, arms embracing her from many angles.

By the time they let go, Lupin had Draco carefully upright in a chair, and was handing him a series of potions. Both of them looked terrible. Why did Lupin look so haggard?

Hermione sat in the chair next to Draco. Narcissa stood behind her son, a hand resting on his shoulder. He gave her a weak smirk as she sat, taking his free hand and lacing her fingers with his. "...why were you kissing _him_?"

Ron's tone warned of a temper that would unleash hell. Hermione froze. She and Ron had _almost_ been something before all this happened. _Almost_ fallen into something together… and she hadn't thought of him once, not once when Draco was kissing her. She didn't even feel guilty about that.

"I'd say because she wanted to," Draco spat coldly. His hand squeezed hers softly. "Leave her alone, Weasley. The past month has been a nightmare."

"Oh a nightmare?" Ron growled. "Really? We risk our necks to bring her back, and somehow you get pulled along, and she's developed this fucked up healing power without a bloody wand, and then puts her mouth all over yours, and it's a _nightmare_, huh?" Ron stalked towards Draco, shrugging off Harry's attempt to hold him back, raising his wand. Draco snatched Narcissa's from her hand in a blink. "Sure looks like it, you piece of shit!"

Hermione slammed both hands to the table, standing, shaking, glaring at Ron. "Shut up. Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about!"

Ron was glaring at her. "Why the _fuck_ were you kissing this bastard?"

Draco stood. He shouldn't have. He went even paler. "Shove off, Wealsey."

Lupin disarmed Draco and Ron at the same time. "I think it's time we all take a minute to step outside and-"

Ron grabbed Draco by the shirt and shook him. He was purple, and completely oblivious to the fact that everyone was slowly drawing their wands and pointing them at his back. "You're the nightmare, Malfoy. She was almost _mine_. What lies did you tell to make her look at you like that? What are you to her? What is she to you?"

"I'm her bad idea," Draco hissed, hands locked at Ron's wrists. "She's whatever she decides to be. Listen here, you've got ten wands pointed at your back. Let go of me. _Now._"

Ron slowly blinked. He turned to look over his shoulder at all the people holding a wand to him. Those hands slowly released Draco's shirt. Grudgingly.

Harry suddenly collapsed. He screamed, both hands pressing against his scar. Ron whirled around quickly, sitting at his side, pulling Harry away from anything he could roll into in his fit.

Her friend bolted straight upright, covered in sweat, when the fit passed. "Shit. Shit! He _knows. _He's heading to double check everything- we're out of time. Ron, we have to get to Hogwarts. Now! How do we get there?"

"Kreacher," Hermione whispered. The house elf appeared with a pop.

"Brilliant, Hermione-" Harry breathed, then spoke in a rush. "Kreacher, Ron and I have to get into Hogwarts. Secretly. Safely. Do you know where we could sneak in?"

"Kreacher knows the safe place. Kreacher will take Master. Dobby will take the other. Summon him, Master."

"Dobby!" Harry yelled, standing unsteadily. Dobby appeared. "We're going to the safe place. You know it? Can you take Ron?"

"Anything for Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby shook his head vigorously, "Anything!"

"Harry, what's going on?" Hermione asked quickly. "Hogwarts? But I thought-"

"There's no time, Hermione. I'm sorry. Explain later. Let's go!"

In a chorus of cracks, Dobby, Ron, Kreacher and Harry vanished from sight. Half the Order of the Phoenix in the room began yelling and pushing to the front door- debating the best way to follow the into Hogwarts.

Draco stumbled backwards, he would have collapsed if not for Lupin. "This does complicate things," the man muttered as he pushed Draco back into the chair. "Hermione, you'll have to stay here. It isn't wise for you to be involved in all this, given your… condition." What condition? Lupin didn't elaborate. "And I'm not sure if it's safe to move him too much right now." He looked over his shoulder to Molly Weasley. "Do you have her wand, Molly? She shouldn't be unarmed."

"Oh it's here… somewhere…" Molly pulled out a familiar bag from her pocket. Hermione could have cried again. Her entire life was in that bag. The witch pointed her wand in the bag and summoned Hermione's wand. When Molly pressed both into Hermione's hand, she hugged her again. "We have to go soon… now I want you to stay here. Wait for us to come back, and we'll tell you everything. You hear me? No one should be able to follow you. You're safe, Hermione. Merlin, I don't know how, but you're _safe. _Heaven knows I want to keep you that way… you and… well…" she squeezed Hermione a little gentler. "...no, not right now. We will have to talk about that later." Mrs. Weasley kissed both her cheeks before releasing her.

Then she turned to Draco and he cried out in surprise when she held him in that fierce bear hug of hers. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but Dobby was right. Thank you for keeping her safe. Thank you both." Molly kissed him on both cheeks.

Narcissa burst into tears. Molly embraced that witch next. Narcissa shook her head no, trying to pull away. "The girl was tortured, Molly. _Horribly. Repeatedly._ We didn't keep her safe. Only alive. Don't thank us. And I don't know how… how she is..." Narcissa sobbed harder, clinging to the witch, overwhelmed with emotions.

"I don't care." Molly squeezed Narcissa tightly. "Look at you. You're falling apart. You and I are going to sit down for a proper cuppa tea before I go. Come."

That left Lupin, Tonks, Bill, Draco, Hermione and Ginny in the room. Hermione was fighting back tears again.

"Where are we?" Draco asked, looking around the room slowly. Hermione turned her head and relief swam through her bones. Grimmauld Place. One of the rooms they'd cleaned up from last summer. She sank down to her knees on the floor, for the first time in ages, feeling completely _safe_.

Ginny knelt next to her and Hermione gave her a shaky smile. She couldn't help it. She gave a trembling laugh, tears sliding down her cheeks again. "Ginny… it is _so good_ to see you again."

"Likewise," Ginny frowned, pointing her wand at Hermione's mouth. "You've got blood on your lip." She tried to heal it then her eyes widened. A smirk lit her features. "Oh… not yours, hum?"

Hermione blushed. Ginny laughed and flicked her wand to Evanesco the blood away. She repeated her spell at Draco. "Well, I can't wait to hear more about this, but I've gotta find the twins. There's no way Mum will let me go with her. They owe me one."

"Ginny, that's a terrible idea-" Lupin called as she ran out the door. He sighed, shaking his head. "Nymphadora, let's go find Kingsley. He must have put something together by now."

"Don't call me that." Tonks frowned at him, but then stood on tiptoe to kiss him at the door before they hurried downstairs. "Oh wait a second, Remus." Tonks flicked her wand, coming back to Hermione. A collection of potions appeared on the coffee table. Tonks pressed the book to Hermione's hands. "There you go, read about the dosages. You get started on those potions, Hermione. Today. Got it?"

Hermione could only nod, utterly bewildered. She was starting to feel a little frightened. Why was everyone acting like something was wrong with her? Tonks put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, now, don't make that face. You're gonna be alright, I promise. Just take it easy, okay? Stressing out more right now isn't going to help anything. Trust me."

Bill was watching Draco very carefully from across the room. The Weasley walked silently towards him, and put a hand on his shoulder, speaking very quietly into Draco's ear.

Draco met Hermione's eyes as Bill spoke. She couldn't hear. Draco's jaw dropped. His face went pink and he held his breath. He shook his head no violently, and pushed Bill away with a hand. "No. Nope. Didn't happen. She isn't- and we haven't-" his face went more pink. Surprising, with the amount of blood he had lost. "That's not possible. It's not! I don't understand it either, but that's _not_ it. Just take a look. It can't be true."

Bill frowned, then flicked his wand at Hermione. He shrugged. "I'm rubbish at that spell. Everyone in that room was thinking it, Draco, the second she started healing you. Even your Mother. You should've seen her face. You won't find _anything_ about that kind of magic written down in a book."

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"He can explain it to you." Bill replied with a sudden George and Fred grin. "I've gotta get out of here. See you soon."

Draco wouldn't look at her. He stood, moving to the couch to collapse into the cushions, where he promptly took one and covered his burning face.

"What did he say?" Hermione moved to sit next to him.

Draco groaned as he pulled the pillow from his face. He slowly turned to face her, running a hand over his face, then sighing hard. He turned his body towards her, took his hand and put it on her knee, blushing slightly as he asked. "Granger… when's the last time you had your period?"

Hermione felt all the blood drain from her face. She ripped open the book Tonks had given her. Potions for pregnant witches. Written in Tonk's handwriting. Hermione dropped the book and put both hands over her mouth, shaking her head no.

"There's no way… there's no way! We never… I've _never- __**never!**_" _It isn't wise for you to be involved in all this, given your… condition. _"They all think that I'm…" Hermione shook her head no again. _Merlin I don't know how, but you're safe. Heaven knows I want to keep you that way… you and… well… no, not right now. We will have to talk about that later._ "That can't be true. It just… it just can't be true!" Her eyes wandered to the potions Tonks had left. "I'm not pregnant." Hermione suddenly couldn't breathe. "There's no way. Magic can't do that, can it?"

"I didn't think so," Draco said quietly. He wrapped his arms around her.

"There's no way… there's no way… there's _no way_." Hermione felt the panic attack in her bones.

"Take it easy." His hand pressed to hers gently. Occasionally a flicker of magic pulsed between them. That was kind of calming. He kissed her forehead. "I agree with you. Breathe. Let's think this through. When was your last period, Granger?"

"It's been awhile," Hermione admitted in a small voice, heart still pounding. She took a deep breath. "But stress does that. Always has. It always went away around exam time. That doesn't mean anything. I need a blood test."

"Blood test?" Draco repeated the words, squeezing her hand slightly, lacing his fingers with hers. "What's that?"

"A doctor takes my blood and tests it and they find out if I'm pregnant or not."

"Takes your blood? I don't like the sound of that, Granger. Besides, it's not safe to leave here. You can't go to a doctor. What the hell is that, anyway?"

"It's like a Healer," Hermione felt terrible. There was no way this could be true… right? The magic they had fooled around with- that incredibly addictive magic… "Draco, could this really be happening? Could using your body as a wand… that magic… could it have gotten me pregnant?"

"I really don't think so. I've never heard of anything like that." His thumb stroked her hand gently as he continued speaking. "Maybe it temporarily bound us together, somehow, but that's gotta be it. There are some things that have always been the same as Muggles, from what I was told growing up, and this is one of them. You can't make something from nothing. Any way you spin this, there's a physical element missing here."

"Then why do they all think I _am_?" Hermione asked, leaning forward to rest her head against his chest.

"Because it's even more rare to have that kind of magic, if you're not."

Both of them jumped. Molly and Narcissa were back. How long had they been listening? "Let's settle this," Molly took out her wand and flicked it at Hermione. A series of lines appeared in the air in front of her. She and Narcissa read them together. They only looked confused as the lines vanished.

"Wait- Narcissa… what if…" the two witches exchanged a knowing look. Then, Narcissa and Molly raised their wands together at them. Hermione felt a strange warmth in her chest. Blinding light forced her to close her eyes. When she blinked rapidly to see again, both witches looked stunned. Molly slowly lowered her wand, mouth slightly open, eyes locked to Hermione. She gave a nervous laugh. Narcissa crossed her arms over her chest, a hand to her mouth, silently staring at Draco.

That didn't help. "What?" Hermione asked immediately. "I can't be! Tell me I'm _not_!"

"It's not that." Molly said softly, smiling. "Hermione, you're not pregnant."

Relief sank into her skin. She rested an elbow on her knee and held her head in her hand, closing her eyes and laughing shakily. "Thank Merlin. You all had me so scared."

Draco hadn't relaxed at all. "...Mother, what is it?"

"Your magical cores are completely intertwined." Narcissa said softly. "...I've never seen such a complicated pattern."

All the air went out of his lungs. His voice was incredibly quiet. "Never? Not even you and Father?"

"..._never_, Draco." Narcissa repeated softly.

"It is… rather beautiful." Molly said gently. "I can't imagine what such a pattern will mean for your future."

Hermione didn't want to understand. But she thought she did. Draco squeezed her hand tightly. Almost painfully. She squeezed back. She lifted her head from her hand. "Magical cores? But… that would make us…" her voice died in her throat. She shook her head no at Molly. The witch nodded her head gently.

"Married." Narcissa finished softly, her gaze still locked to Draco as she spoke. "...Welcome to the family, Hermione…"

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	9. Chapter 9: Explanations

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Chapter 9: Explanations

Hermione and Draco didn't move. They didn't look at each other. Her hand hurt with the grasp they both held. Hermione felt her stomach drop. Married? "That… that can't be true."

"It is." Molly said quietly. Hermione closed her eyes, grasping his hand even harder. He responded just as strongly. Okay, at least neither of them were completely freaking out. Yet.

"Well… at least you're not pregnant!" Molly said, trying to shift the mood. It wasn't helping. The tense silence was suffocating. "Alright then… I think they need some time to talk about this, Narcissa. Why don't I show you where you can lay down? It might do you some good to rest. Then I must be going. Arthur is waiting for me. We will be going to the school."

"Thank you, Molly… I must admit, I am quite exhausted."

The two witches closed the door behind them after they left. Neither of them moved. Hermione wasn't even sure if she was breathing. She didn't have any idea of what to say.

"...that's one way out of an arranged marriage," Draco muttered quietly. Hermione turned sharply and met his eyes for the first time.

He looked incredibly tense. Hermione frowned, suddenly realizing what he had said. "Arranged marriage?"

"Pureblood marriages are arranged. I've been slated to the Greengrass family for as long as I can remember."

That surprised her. "What? But, you and Pansy were dating for the longest time, weren't you?"

Draco laughed. He let go of her hand, leaning back on the couch and running a hand down his face. "Pansy knew. Hell, she has an arranged marriage, too. It doesn't matter. Made sex that much easier, knowing it was useless to create attachments." He put a hand over his eyes, shaking his head no, "This… this is..."

Hermione blushed slightly at the carefree way he spoke about sex. The weight of this came back and she paled quickly, crossing her arms over her chest. They fell into that awful silence again. Hermione felt like she should say something. "I'm sorry."

Draco slowly uncovered his eyes and turned to face her. "Granger… this is absolutely not your fault. Don't say that again."

"...it's not yours either," Hermione muttered. "I just… I don't know what else to say, Draco. How did this happen?"

He swallowed hard, and sat forward, leaning his elbows on his knees, head in hand. Then he exhaled hard and sat up, turning slightly to face her. "You're wrong. I think… I _know_... this is my fault."

"Your fault?" Hermione shook her head no. "We didn't know what we were doing. We don't even know how this happened."

"I think I get it."

Hermione stared at him. Draco looked ready for her to hit him. She shook her head no, eyebrows furrowing down. "You're just blaming yourself."

Draco looked like he didn't want to say anything for a moment. Then he sat sideways, facing her, put an arm on the back of the couch and covered his eyes again. "Don't interrupt me. Just listen… I wanted to keep you. I told you I'd never regret getting my hands on you, and I enjoyed it every single time. I'm extremely possessive. Every time I got my hands on you, it was too good. Nights when I was awake, and you were sleeping, I thought about never doing it again… it drove me a little mad."

Hermione stared at his lips as he spoke. No way. There was _no way_ he was saying all this!

He paused for a moment, then his voice dropped slightly in volume as he continued. "I got attached to you. I knew it was stupid. I knew it couldn't go anywhere." His other hand clenched to a fist. "But _damn it_, I wanted to keep you. That feeling just got stronger and stronger every time I touched you. This is my fault. I'm so fucking selfish, Granger, that I stole you. And I'm keeping you now…"

That sentence caught her. She held her breath. Keeping her? That should've made her angry. Instead, it felt oddly affectionate. He kept talking.

"...but I didn't mean to do it like this. I didn't know what the desire would do. I didn't think… I didn't think you'd really be mine." He slowly removed his hand from his eyes, meeting her gaze. "You're not the one that should be apologizing. I am…" his eyes weren't apologetic. "But I'm not sorry. I _still_ want to keep you. And now I can…" he shook his head slightly, "I mean, this is way more than I expected… but I don't regret it… I'm not sorry." They were silent for a long time. Or maybe no time. Hermione couldn't think. Then he shrugged, "So… just, go ahead and hit me now."

Hermione was stunned. That… That added a piece to the puzzle. Intention had a lot to do with magic. She put both hands over her mouth, shaking her head no at him. Her eyes closed tight. She shook her head no harder. "You don't mean that. You can't be serious, Draco!"

"Give me veritaserum and you'll hear the same thing. Probably in a lot more colorful language."

Hermione's eyes snapped open in surprise. He was being dead serious. She stood, pacing back and forth. "No. No way! That's insane. That's just too far fetched!" But it wasn't. Not if she thought it through. "What does it take to bond magical cores?" She was thinking out loud. She knew. "Time-"

"Time." Draco finished her sentence. "Affection and intention."

"But… This took no time at all!" Hermione turned to him, stamping a foot on the ground. "That doesn't fit!"

"...I don't think you grasp just how selfish I am. I don't know if I've ever wanted anything more in my life." Draco stood. Hermione felt her breath catch slightly. "It makes sense, now, I know you can see it."

"As long as two of the three elements are there, they can outweigh the third." Hermione continued quietly. She stopped pacing. "But...it's usually affection that gets outweighed, in arranged marriages at least."

"But in this case," Draco placed himself in front of her. "Time was the element pushed out."

"...but it doesn't work like that. It can't just be your affection and your intention, Draco." Hermione felt a little exposed saying that, but it _was_ true. "We have to match at some level." Her heart was hurting in her chest. She wasn't ready to examine what she felt for him. Not at all.

"I agree. I think a lot of yours must've been subconscious. Mine… mine was blatant. I recognized it. It was eating at me. I had hoped it would fade once you got out of the Manor. It wasn't as strong at first. At least, I don't think it was…" his hand came to push her hair behind her ear. "...then when you refused the opportunity to go… I couldn't pretend it was going to fade away."

"But the binding is complex- extremely complex from what Narcissa said! How?"

"I think it's because I had to torture you." Draco said quietly, "...and we both knew I didn't want to do it. Then I was the one healing you. It was a seriously fucked up rollercoaster of emotions. That's just a guess, though."

Hermione stared at him. It did fit. It did make sense… but it didn't. It couldn't! She felt a little numb. Shocked. Then she felt faint. Light headed. This was too much. This was _way_ too much. Her vision darkened. Draco caught her.

She wasn't sure how long she was out. Her eyes opened again. It couldn't have been long. There was a strange sound in the room. Hermione sat up from the couch. Draco sat at the table, both arms flat down in front of him. Hermione stood, putting a hand on his back. Was he wheezing? He caught one of her hands tightly. "I can't breathe."

Hermione sat in a chair next to him sharply. He was struggling to breathe, sweat beaded his forehead, and he had gone deathly pale again. Hermione put a hand to his chest. His heart was thundering painfully. "Calm down, Draco, it's okay..."

"I forced you to kiss me," he gasped, "You said no. Your body knew." He grimaced, sucked in a painful breath. She winced at that sound. "I didn't listen. I enjoyed it. I did this. Fuck… I did this to you."

She slid her hand under his shirt to put her palm over his heart. "Draco, that's enough! Breathe!"

"Hermione- don't-!" His breathing evened immediately when her magic shot through him. He relaxed and took a calm, deep breath. Even his heartbeat was slowing. That was curious. How had she done that? "...I think it binds us, a little more, every time. You realize that now, don't you?"

"There's no going back, Draco… if it means you can breathe, then I don't care how tightly bound we become."

He shook his head no. "Granger, you're Muggle-born, you don't understand what it really means to be bound to someone this way."

Hermione did not like not knowing things. That annoyed her. She frowned. "Okay, fair point. But I've read a lot. I understand-"

Draco shook his head no again, interrupting her. "That's the textbook version. You have _no idea_ what it's like in reality. That can't be put in a book."

"Alright then, explain it to me." Hermione crossed her legs..

His entire body tensed for a moment. "Hell, Granger… that's… it's not in a book because it's hard to explain. Everyone just knows- it's just the way it is!"

"There's no way you can explain it to me?"

He fell silent, his eyes traveling her face. When he spoke, his voice was very quiet. "There's… one way…"

"Okay, so, do it." she snapped. Draco laughed at her. Hermione pushed at his chest irritably. That just made him cover his face with his hand and laugh harder. Hermione frowned. "What?" Draco shook his head no, he couldn't stop laughing. "_What?_"

"You asked for it. Remember that." His hands slowly came to her face and he was kissing her, but this time felt different. It was gentle, it was calm, but this time it felt like all of her skin was slowly setting on fire, and the only places where it cooled at all was where his hands touched her skin. She gasped and when his tongue touched hers, now it felt like every inch of her body was suddenly exposed to him. Then, for a split second, it even felt like her mind was open to him. As if he could reach into her mind and _take_ something. Anything. That was a raw sensation.

Hermione pulled away sharply, staring at his mouth, stunned and confused. "What- what the hell was _that_, Draco?"

"That was me, barely tapping into our connection. _Barely_, Hermione." Draco said softly, thumb stroking her lip. "Want me to show you what it's like if I dig a little deeper?"

Hermione put both hands over her mouth, eyes flickering up to his. "You can get into my head? _Literally?!_ How?"

"Bound magical cores have their own unique properties. You and I aren't even going to begin to understand this unless we tap into it to figure it out. That was your mind I saw?" his eyes softened slightly. "...damn…"

"What?"

"I've just… never seen anything like that." Draco said quietly. His other hand fell to twist a curl of her hair. "I don't know how to describe it, Granger, just let me enjoy that for a minute."

Hermione blushed. She put her hands down on the table. That was a curious kind of compliment. "How do we tap into it?"

"Vulnerability, Granger. Any kind. It's easier with physical contact. As long as there is the focus, the intention to tap into the connection, then it'll happen." Then he pressed his forehead against hers, fingers toying with her hair gently. "You want to give it a try?"

"I'm not sure." Hermione felt a little apprehensive. "I… think I need to read about this a little more, first." Hermione swallowed hard. "And… I barely know anything about you, Draco. I'm not ready for bound magical cores. That was really intense just now…"

"That's fair." He held her hand gently. "... I'm not either. I should've warned you."

"I wanted to know. I wouldn't have listened… but now that I know, please…don't tap into that again. Not for a while."

He nodded. Then he yawned- widely, quickly covering his mouth with his hands. "Sorry… I'm just so damn tired… think the potions Lupin gave me are countering the wakening draft."

Sleep was a good idea. Was there a safe bedroom on this floor? She wasn't sure. Hermione waved her wand at the couch and it transformed into a bed. Draco smiled at her. He did look exhausted. Then he stood and collapsed onto it face first, muttering his thanks into a pillow. She giggled slightly. And his breathing evened within seconds. Hermione had never seen him fall asleep so quickly. A few careful flicks and his shoes were off, and he was under the blanket instead of on top of it. She laid down on her stomach on the other side of the bed.

At first she just watched him. It was kind of strange that laying in the same bed now felt normal. Comfortable. Hermione tried to distract herself from everything by reading for a while. Maybe a half hour. It wasn't working. Her mind was too full. Eventually, Hermione summoned her photo album from her bag, laying on her back, hugging the book tightly. She was so grateful this hadn't been lost.

Tears slid down her cheeks in silence as she opened the album and slowly flipped through the pages. Draco stirred. He rose, wrapping a very warm arm around her, kissing her wet cheek. "Why are you crying?" He muttered to her skin, pulling her into his chest.

"My parents…" Hermione whispered softly.

That seemed to wake him up in an instant. He tensed. "Are they here?"

"No… no, Draco…" Hermione rolled to her side, taking the book with her. She didn't want to talk about this right now. One of her hands pushed the tears away. "...I haven't seen them for a really long time."

He propped himself up on his elbow to look at her while he spoke. "Why? Where are they?" Then she felt him pause, "Wait a second- are those pictures frozen?"

"That's the way it is, outside the magical world. Photos can't move. Or speak." Hermione felt him reach a hand across her body. He touched a photo hesitantly.

"That's so weird…" he muttered, settling back down, wrapping his arm around her waist. "Granger, why aren't they here? Isn't this the safest place for them to hide?"

Words weren't working. She didn't want to have to say it out loud, but she wanted to tell him. That was conflicting. Suddenly he was back at her mind- had she just tapped into their connection? She felt him there, but he wasn't reaching for anything. She was handing him something.

Hermione closed her eyes as she felt him suddenly sink into a memory. She'd invited him to it… but she didn't know how. That last morning with them replayed in her mind. How Hermione had wiped their memories- erased herself from their lives. How she had checked into a hotel room and completely broken down when it was over. She'd only told the Weasley's it had been a day. Really, Hermione had stayed there for a week, under a false name. She stayed long enough to torment herself as she watched them pack up their lives, and board the airplane. Without her. The pain of letting them go and the fear that she'd never see them again created an intense grief that she chose to suffer through. Alone. After that, she had simply vanished from the Muggle world all together… as if she had never existed in the first place.

He held her tightly as the vision ended. He found her hand and laced his fingers quickly. "Granger…" her squeezed her hand. "...you saved them. They went after your folks the week term began." All the blood in her body went cold. "Tried to hunt them down. Never found them. They're safe."

Hermione felt a shuddering breath catch in her throat at his words. "How do you know?" She hadn't heard any news about them since she'd wiped their minds. Draco's words were part terrifying, and part comforting. "How do you _know_?"

"They would've been brought straight to the Manor if they'd been found," Draco replied softly. "Granger, I remember every face that's suffered in that house. They never caught them. You did it. You kept them safe. That was bleeding clever. No one would have expected you to erase yourself. That's mad. Brilliantly mad, but still..."

She closed the photo book with trembling fingers. "Draco, are you absolutely sure?" Hermione turned quickly in his arms to face him. "I can't… I can't risk checking up on them. I haven't, not once since I…" Tears welled in her eyes at the look on his face. He was telling the truth. "Please don't say this if you're not sure."

"Fenrir was furious." Draco gave her a smile, smoothing her hair reassuringly. "He couldn't follow their scent. Said it got lost in the air, like they'd taken off on brooms to all seven seas." His lips touched her forehead lightly. "I'm positive, Hermione. Wherever you hid them, they're safe."

Panic lit in her chest. "Oh _God_ they sent Fenrir?!" The tears broke down her face. The thought of what could've happened if they had stayed… fear for them came horribly alive in her heart.

"Shit. Shouldn't have told you that." Draco muttered as she buried her face into his chest, sobbing. It felt good to have someone hold her this time, stroke her hair, silently guard her through the grief and relief. It was less maddening this way.

"No- don't say that," Hermione finally found words as she wiped her hands against her face hard, getting control of herself. "I'm so glad to hear that no one could find them. Not even Fenrir. That's…" she smiled at him, but her lips shook. "That's good, isn't it?"

Draco kissed her. Softly. He withdrew slowly, and rolled to his back, pulling her against him. "Yeah, Granger. It's good… but…" he put a hand on her cheek. She closed her eyes. "...how do you expect to find them later, and bring them back... if an expert tracker couldn't do it?"

"The point was to let them go, to keep them safe." Hermione felt herself smile again. Her lips still trembled. "I… I don't know if it will ever be safe to bring them back. Or… or if it's… possible."

That hurt. She closed her eyes, pressing her head against his chest. His hand pressed against the back of her head in a comforting way. "I… I can't think about that anymore right now, Draco. It's enough for now, knowing they're safe."

It really wasn't. She tasted the lie on her lips, and knew he must've known, but he didn't contradict her. He just held her and stroked her back in a comforting motion. That was nice.

In all the time they had spent at the Manor, they had never fallen asleep together. Not like this. Not wrapped in each other's arms. His body was warm and solid. It felt so right, and so peaceful. The sleep was good. Greatly needed and appreciated. She wasn't sure how long they slept.

She only woke because of a horrific dream. No. A vision. Hermione had never had a vision. Damn divination. So much for not having what the art required. Damn Trelawney.

Harry. Harry was dead. Hermione bolted upright in a cold sweat. Draco followed her. They stared at each other. "No…" Hermione whispered. "_No!_"

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	10. Chapter 10: The Room of Requirement

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Chapter 10: The Room of Requirement

Hermione felt sick and afraid. Draco stared at her. "No way. You… you saw it too?"

Hermione looked at Draco in surprise. Then it clicked. He didn't like to sleep, fought against it, and others came to hear what he said at night. "You're a Seer." She whispered, stunned.

"Dreamer," he corrected, running a hand through his hair. He looked incredibly uncomfortable. "...It's only when I sleep too deeply."

Hermione stared at him. "But, you told Bellatrix-"

"That would have been a lie." Draco closed his eyes for a moment.

She shook her head no. "But you said it was only your family-"

"I _lied_." His eyes snapped open. "Hermione, people who actually see things don't go bragging about it!" Draco snapped. "Can you imagine how that ability could be taken advantage of? I'd have been drugged to the deepest sleep I've ever known and _forced_ to see. Either side would've used me. It isn't an ability to make well known."

He would have? That was an awful idea! "What did you say that made them try to listen to you sleep?"

"My father at the department of mysteries. I predicted his failure." Draco didn't look pleased to say it.

Hermione's blood ran cold. She caught his hand quickly. "How accurate are your dreams?"

"Good enough. Nothing is ever written until it's done, though." Draco squeezed her hand back. "Where was he? I didn't recognize that location."

"It… it looked like the forbidden forest." Hermione shuddered. Visions were terrible. "We have to get to Hogwarts."

Draco stood. He reached into his pocket for his wand and froze. "Fuck… that werewolf took the wand."

"You'll have to stay here," Hermione stood, but Draco held her forearm in an iron grasp.

"Like _hell_ I will." He snarled. "Granger, you didn't read all the signs in that dream. It's not just Potter. There's fighting- war. It's _bad._ You aren't going alone."

"You can't go unarmed again! You nearly died, Draco!" Hogsmeade. She'd have to apparate there first, and find a way to the school. There was no way to go directly to the grounds. She just had to shake him off.

"Then neither of us is going, Granger." He stood, following her as she tried to pull away.

"I can't just ignore that dream!" Hermione yanked her arm away. He caught her again. Both hands on both forearms. This time his grip hurt. That would leave bruises for sure. She winced in discomfort. "Let go!"

"Not a chance in hell." Draco growled. "If you go, I go. Got it?"

The door opened again. Narcissa stood there. She looked pale. "Draco- thank goodness you didn't leave yet." The woman strode across the room and pressed her wand into the back of his hand. "Don't you dare lose this, understand?"

Draco kissed his mother's cheek as he released one of Hermione's arms to take the wand. "Got it. Hogsmeade? Is that the way the others went?" Narcissa nodded, she held his hand just a little longer when he went to turn to Hermione. "But… Draco… be careful near the hidden chamber. I saw fire. I wish we had time to discuss my vision. There were so many warnings." Narcissa let him go. Draco finally let go of Hermione's arms and hugged his mother tightly. The witch was crying. "Just don't lose that wand, Draco. You'll be safe as long as you have it."

Just before they apparated, she cried out. "Keep the otter away from the seventh floor!"

Otter? Hermione looked at the woman in puzzlement for a moment. Her patronus? How did she know about that? Narcissa saw the look, went pale and tried to say more- but it was too late. They had turned on the spot and vanished.

Hermione and Draco appeared in Hogsmeade. It was strangely empty. Hermione could've sworn that she saw Percy bolting inside a building. She took Draco's hand in her own and ran. They stumbled inside and up a staircase.

A man stood there that she had seen at Dumbledore's funeral. Draco froze at the sight of the man and let go of her hand. Piercing blue eyes caught them both. He slammed a passage closed with a large portrait, and stood in front of it with his arms crossed.

Strained silence echoed off the walls. Maddeningly. Aberforth didn't take his eyes from Draco once. "Come to finish off the rest of the family, boy?"

"Aberforth, we need to get to Hogwarts," Hermione said in a rush. "Please. It's urgent."

"Passage closed," Aberforth replied seriously, coldly. "Besides… that bastard isn't going anywhere near my brother's school."

Draco was completely frozen. Paler than she had ever seen him. Hermione walked back to stand next to him and took his hand again, "He's here to help."

"Oh _really, _girl?" Aberforth frowned deeply. "Just which side do you think he'll help?"

"The one I'm on," Hermione snapped angrily. "Aberforth, I have to find Harry. Please, he's in danger."

"No shit," Aberforth sneered. "Don't you get snappy with me, Missy." He pointed a large hand at Draco's face. "This one getting closer to that idiot isn't going to do him any favors!"

Draco clenched his hands. His grasp hurt her fingers. She tightened her own hand around his. "I can tell you the faces of the dead, if you don't let us go after him."

"Bullshit. People are going to die whether you go or not."

"You don't seem to listen. I can _tell_ you." Draco spat. He closed his eyes. They moved rapidly under his eyelids for a moment, then he started speaking. "Remus Lupin. Nymphadora Tonks. Fred Weasley. Dobby-"

Hermione felt sick. She interrupted. "Draco, how do you know that?"

"You don't know how to read the signs." Draco hissed, eyes snapping open. "This isn't new, Granger. It's been true my entire fucking life…" he turned his attention back to the man in front of him. "I can keep going, Aberforth. Eventually I'll find a dead face that you care about."

"...so you're a dreamer, are you?" Aberforth breathed. "Why are you divulging a secret like that? You know where the ministry will put you if it turns out you're an accurate reader?"

"We have to get through." Draco said icily. "I know how to change things, but not if you stay in my way."

Aberforth gave Draco a hard stare. "And what happens when all this is said and done, boy?" Draco clenched his jaw. "...Damn. You have seen the end of all this, haven't you?"

"Yes." Hermione felt her breath catch. She stared at Draco. He kept talking. "Three options. One way or another, this ends today."

"Oh yeah? Three? And just how do they all start?"

"Here." Draco replied quietly. "It all starts to snowball from here. The more time you waste, the more likely it is that the faces I see dead stay that way."

"You picked a fine fucking time to grow a spine, Malfoy." Aberforth hissed. He was furious. "This changes nothing. You hear me? Dobby!" A crack and the house elf appeared. "These two need to get in the castle. Is there another elf that can help?"

"Hermione Granger!" Dobby beamed. Then saw Draco and his eyes widened. "Draco... M-Malfoy…" he blinked in surprise then quickly answered. "Yes. Yes sir- Winky, sir. Winky!"

The elf appeared next to Dobby. Aberforth frowned deeply at Draco before they vanished with a chorus of loud cracks. "Dobby and Winky must return to the kitchen!" Dobby took Winky by the hand and vanished quickly. It seemed he was not comfortable in the presence of Draco.

"Tell me you were lying to Aberforth," Hermione whispered in the strangely silent hall. Her heart was aching. When his eyes met hers, she felt the pain swell.

"...I didn't." Draco said quietly. He looked away from her. "...it was the truth."

"What the fuck?!" A voice suddenly bellowed nearby. Hermione and Draco both whirled to see Ron, half into the room of requirement. Harry popped his head out, looking pale. "Get over here! I could use another set of eyes!"

They rushed into the room and the door shut softly behind them.

"Hermione, you shouldn't be here," Harry hissed. His eyes flickered to Draco and then to Ron. "Lupin… he… he told me that you-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Harry Potter!" Hermione snapped. Ron would try to kill Draco if he thought she was pregnant, and this was not the time! "What are we doing here?"

"Hold on- what did Lupin say?" Ron frowned.

"There is no time for this," Draco muttered. "Potter, what are you looking for?"

"Can I actually count on you to help?" Harry mused aloud.

"The less time in this room, the better," Draco spat.

"Fair. Okay, we're looking for the lost diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw." Harry gestured to the room. "It's like a tiara. I know I've seen it in here. It's up on a bust, with a wig. We don't have much time."

They split up and began to search. Draco came around a bend that met Hermione's path. He put a finger to his lips, holding a hand out to stop her. Hermione froze. He stepped out to the open crossing of four paths.

"Crabbe. Goyle." Draco's tone was crisp and unbothered.

"Fuck! Draco? Where did you come from? How'd you get in here?"

"Same as you," Draco drawled, sounding bored.

"Vanishing cabinet," one of them said proudly. "Bloody useful thing you fixed...but how did you get to it? We heard them Weasley's got you."

"Got loose. Went back, heard you two were sneaking in here and decided to follow along. Besides, that family can't hold onto a fistful of galleons. How the hell do you expect them to hang on to me?" Draco smirked coldly.

"Too right," Crabbe laughed quietly. "That Potter, he's in here, I know it. Heard him talking. We can catch him. You're gonna help _us_, Malfoy. Not stealing the credit for this one."

"He isn't this way," Draco jerked his thumb over his shoulder, down the path where Hermione stood frozen. "Just came that direction." His eyes turned to hers for a brief moment and then looked away again. "Only way someone could hide is if they had a disillusionment charm on 'em. And they'd have to be real fucking small. That path is narrow."

Hermione took the hint. She cast an invisible disillusionment charm over herself in two silent flicks.

"You forgot about his ruddy cloak." Goyle's face peered over the corner. Hermione held her breath.

"That makes him invisible. He'd still be solid as a door." Draco rolled his eyes. "Which way did you hear him?"

The three were off. Hermione followed them silently, carefully. Somewhere in her gut, she felt a warning not to stay too close, but not to get too far away from Draco. She searched as they moved. Then she froze again. Draco, Crabbe and Goyle had found Harry. Ron was sneaking up another pathway, looking ready to kill Draco for this betrayal.

Hermione rushed over, dropping the spell when she was out of sight. Ron looked startled for a moment. She shook her head no at Ron, leaning closer and whispering very quietly in his ear. "Draco's still trying to help. Just wait."

Several awful heartbeats later- Goyle shot but a killing curse at Harry. Ron was done waiting. He shot a stunning curse at the trio but it missed. Then he took off after Crabbe. Draco had tried to restrain the two brutes, trying to make them understand the Dark Lord wanted to be there one to finish him off. Goyle hit him. Draco's wand clattered away.

Hermione felt Narcissa's warning blast in her mind. Goyle laughed when he saw Hermione and shot a killing curse at her. Missed by an inch. She dove behind a stack of objects. Harry went after Goyle. They started off down a path. Hermione summoned Draco's wand from the stack of things and knelt by him, pressing it into his hands. He coughed as he sat up, a hand pressed to his gut where he'd been hit.

"Don't lose this." Hermione felt her voice shake. He cracked open an eye and held the wand tightly. Silently, he nodded and forced himself to his feet.

"This is bad," Draco muttered. "Those two don't _think_. They just do what they're told. I've never seen them act on their own."

"RUN!"

Ron shot past them, and grabbed Hermione by the hand, dragging her away. She grabbed Draco. They took off. The smell of smoke caught their noses.

"Ron, what happened?!" Hermione yelped.

"Goyle- he set the place on fire! I can't put it out!" Ron looked frightened. "I swear there were monsters in the flames."

"Fiendfyre." Hermione and Draco said it together.

"Fuck." Draco muttered. "We have to get out of here."

They crashed into Harry. He toppled to the floor. Another body was under them. Hermione screamed. Goyle. Goyle was dead. Everyone scrambled to their feet, except Harry. "The spell ricocheted." Harry whispered. "He tried to kill me. I ducked. It… it bounced off something…"

Draco took Harry by the shirt and punched him across the face. "No time for this, Potter. Get up." He yanked Harry to his feet. "We have to get out of here. Everything's going up in flames."

A terrible scream lit up the air. Draco's head snapped towards it. "Crabbe!"

For one moment, the scream intensified. Then it was gone. Hermione trembled. "This is the room of requirement, right?" Ron yelled suddenly, "We need a fucking way out! So, help us!"

A stack clattered to the floor nearby. Four broomsticks slid to the top of the pile. The boys all snatched one up. Hermione shook her head no. "I can't."

"Hermione, now is not the time-" Ron growled, throwing a broom at her.

"No, Ron, I can't! I never got the broom to work first year!" Hermione felt tears. The smoke was terrible now, stinging her eyes. "I _can't_ fly."

Draco stood behind her suddenly, "I can manage two people. Just hold on tight."

She did. His arms kept her balanced, and several times kept her from falling off the broom. A terrible fire was consuming everything, swirling through the entire room, trying to grab them as they flew. Harry darted back, yelling as he passed them. "I see it! Go! I'll meet you at the door!"

Ron was out first. They crashed into a wall at their exit. There was no way to slow down. Hermione landed on top of Draco. His arms wrapped at her waist. He was coughing. So was she. "You're learning... how to fly after this," Draco managed as coughs subsided. "Honestly, how are you best friends with Harry Potter and you don't know how to fly?" Hermione shook her head no, coughing harder. She didn't like heights, and broomsticks were incredibly stubborn towards her. Draco sneered at her slightly, narrowing his eyes and taking her jaw in his hand, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Not optional."

Harry crashed near Ron. He sat up quickly and let go of a silver tiara. It disintegrated. And screamed. Another horcrux down.

The sounds of fighting grew louder around the corner. They all rushed towards it. Fred and Percy were fighting side by side. Hermione saw all the boys jump in, starting to throw spells. A dementor was approaching Ron from behind.

"Are you actually joking, Perc?" Fred called over the noise.

Ron didn't see! She shot a patronus at it. Draco saw it and froze, whirling towards her, running to her. Fred did, too. The red haired twin was pulling her down, face pale. "Hermione, what are you _doing_ here?!"

Then, the hallway exploded.

Hermione felt strange. Her eyes fluttered open. Her vision swam. Sound was gone. There was an awful ringing in her ears. She groaned, bringing a hand to her head. Wet, sticky- her hand came away. Blood.

Draco came into focus. She saw his lips moving. Ron was next to him. Both were pale. Percy was helping Fred up to his knees behind them. Both of the elder Weasley's stared at Draco. Ron didn't look away from her face. Hermione started to giggle. She couldn't stop. Sound was coming back. Warped and muffled, but she heard words.

"Why's she laughing like that?" Ron muttered.

"She's in shock," Draco growled. His arms gingerly helped her sit up. "These two can't keep fighting. We have to hide them."

"They can't stay alone!" Percy snapped.

"Mum's gonna kill you if she just had a miscarriage." Fred muttered towards Draco.

Ron went rigid. He turned to stare at Fred, then Hermione. "_What_?"

"Don't be daft, Ron, people can only heal that way if they have a child together." Percy snapped. Draco froze.

Hermione wanted to explain. She wanted to tell them they were wrong, but tears broke down her face as the laughter kept bubbling out of her without control. Why was she crying? Ron stared at her, then surprised her, pressing a hand lightly to her stomach. He started to shake.

"...I'll kill him," Ron hissed, eyes flaring. He stood, looking around the halls. "Which bastard blew up the corridor? I'll kill him for taking that from her."

And that was _not_ what she expected. Every Weasley had a curious kind of respect for pregnancy. Ron took off down the hall. Percy lifted Fred, and Draco lifted Hermione. They found an abandoned classroom.

Hermione was laid flat on the ground. That was a lot easier than sitting up. Fred stayed with his back up against the wall. Percy threatened Draco with a steady wand to his neck as they settled them into the room. "You _never_ should have brought her here."

"She didn't give me a choice," Draco hissed. "The witch was going, with or without me."

Hermione felt herself laughing. She heard it, but it felt like someone else. She was shaking, she suddenly realized. And she felt very cold.

"You stay here and guard them. And take care of my brother. I think he's got a concussion, too."

"C'mon, Percy, you can do better," Fred grumbled. "Lost my marbles, knocked a screw loose-"

"Fred, shut the _fuck_ up! If you hadn't gotten down…" Percy's voice died for a moment. Then he strode to the door. "I'll send help if I can. Just keep them safe. Silence the room. Her voice is carrying."

Then the door shut. She heard Percy running to rejoin the fray. Hermione couldn't stop laughing. She put a hand over her mouth, cringing. Why couldn't she stop? She felt it when Draco cast the silencing charm over the room. Draco came next to them. Fred nearly collapsed. Draco caught him quickly, and laid him out carefully on the floor next to Hermione, being careful with his skull. "Why'd your patronus have to be a fucking otter?" Draco growled at Hermione after he had settled Fred down, brushing the hair from her face.

"It's cold in here," Fred muttered. Hermione nodded in agreement. That was a mistake. It hurt. She stopped, raising a hand to her skull. That was the first promise of the pain that lingered beyond the laughter. It was going to be hell when the giddiness faded. Suddenly, she felt a blanket being stretched out over her body.

"Well thanks, ferret," Fred joked. "How about some water?"

"People in shock can't have water. You need to wait." Draco summoned pillows carefully under their heads.

Hermione didn't like that answer. She agreed with Fred's request. Somewhere, her logical mind knew it was true, though. The way she was laughing was starting to grate her nerves. "Can't stop," she managed between giggles, "Why can't I stop?"

Draco's hand found hers and gave a reassuring squeeze. He leaned over her and kissed her forehead very gently. His other hand began to stroke her hair. She closed her eyes. That felt a little better. Fred spoke. "Pain's gonna suck when you stop, believe me. Wish I was laughing, too. Don't worry about it, Hermione, it's not-" he paused for a moment. Hermione could tell he saw what Draco was doing. Draco must've seen it too, but he merely sat up, taking his hand from hers, then started to gently run both hands along her skull. Not enough to hurt, but with enough pressure that it relieved some of the pain that she felt creeping into her senses. Hermione let her hand fall to her chest, shoulders relaxing slightly as he continued. "...at least now I know you didn't rape her." Fred muttered.

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	11. Chapter 11: Goodbye

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Chapter 11: Goodbye

"No. I wouldn't. And she's not pregnant, Fred." Draco said quietly, continuing to massage Hermione's head lightly.

"Bull-fucking-shit." Fred growled. "There's no other way she could've healed you like that. Saw Mum heal Dad that way once when she was pregnant with Ginny. He buggered around with some Muggle contraption that blew up. Never saw anything like it."

"Believe what you want." Draco snapped. "But she's not."

"Hermione?" Fred nudged her arm. "C'mon. He's lying. He's got to be lying."

She shook her head no. "I'm not- oww…"

Hermione felt an intense shock of pain along her entire neck and back. She clenched her fists. The laughter was fading. And the pain was terrible. She closed her eyes, swallowing hard. She was starting to feel nauseated.

She wasn't sure how long they were there, Draco taking turns trying to heal each of them a little more. That healing song kept the nausea at bay, but it didn't manage any of the pain.

There was a sudden turning of the doorknob.

"Don't move." Draco hissed. He was gone in an instant.

When the door opened, Hermione heard a strained whisper. "Where are they? Concussions, right?" Hermione felt someone at her side. She opened her eyes. Lupin was over her, muttering a healing spell she didn't know. He had a deep frown in his eyes when he stopped. Not much had changed in her skull. "You never should have come here, Hermione… I think this is beyond my skills. You need Poppy. I may be able to dull the pain for a little while…"

Hermione felt some relief after he tried a different spell. She swallowed hard as Tonks suddenly appeared, helping her slowly sit up. Lupin moved to Fred.

Tonks raised a shaking wand at Hermione. That series of lines appeared. She bit her lip as tears started sliding down her cheeks. "Oh Hermione… I'm so sorry… you lost it…"

Lupin whirled around sharply, eyes examining the lines quickly before the spell faded. He bared his teeth. Hermione had never seen such a wolfish expression on his face. Tonks embraced Hermione tightly. Lupin bounded across the room and suddenly had Draco pinned to the wall with a hand at his throat. His tone was raw- dangerous. "Why did you bring her to this? What were you thinking?!"

Hermione pried Tonks away. Draco gasped for air- clutching at the hand on his throat as Lupin lifted him from the ground. "Professor Lupin, stop!"

What was wrong with him? Hermione had never seen him this feral. Tonks turned, her voice sharp. "Remus- drop him! Keep off."

The man obeyed instantly, clenching his fists at his sides as though he still wanted to hurt him. Draco coughed painfully from the ground. "She's not- she never was!" Draco managed between coughs.

"Seriously!" Hermione cried, "Professor Lupin, I'm not pregnant! Draco and I, we never-" she flushed, unable to finish the sentence.

Tonks stared at her. She shook her head no. "Hermione… if not pregnant, then…" her eyes darted to Draco and back to her. She raised her wand. A series of complex lines lit up from Hermione and Draco. Fred swore softly. Hermione couldn't keep her eyes open to examine it- the light was too bright. She blinked as the image vanished quickly. No one spoke for a moment.

"...that's unbelievable," Lupin muttered softly. His face had calmed. He slowly pulled Draco to his feet. "I've never heard of something like this." Draco jerked away from him sharply. "How did this happen?"

"We can't say for sure." Hermione continued before Draco could open his mouth. "We're still trying to figure that part out."

"You're so exposed," Tonks whispered softly. "Why don't you have tokens? Your family must have powerful charms embedded in them, Draco."

Tokens. Hermione felt like she'd been slapped upside the head. She'd read about this in wizarding families. Rings. Their bonded magical cores were incredibly visible to anyone who knew how to look. If that connection were targeted, it could damage both of them at the same time. Hermione's eyes widened. She hadn't even considered that until now. Glancing over at Draco, she could see he hadn't either.

"My parents have them." Draco said quietly. "This wasn't exactly planned."

Tonks walked over to Lupin and held his arms gently. His face had gone a bit primal again. Draco walked back to Hermione, out of reach. She tried to stand, but lost orientation as a voice ripped through her skull. She clung to a desk nearby, barely able to breathe. Voldemort. In her head. How?!

"You have fought valiantly, but in vain. I do not wish this. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a terrible waste. I therefore command my forces to retreat. In their absence, dispose of your dead with dignity. Harry Potter, I now speak directly to you. On this night, you have allowed your friends to die for you, rather than face me yourself. There is no greater dishonor. Join me in the Forbidden Forest, and confront your fate. If you do not do this, I shall kill every last man, woman and child who tries to conceal you from me."*

Hermione felt it coming. She heaved and felt her insides burn as the voice faded. She wasn't the only one. Fred was sick, as well. A shaking hand soothingly rubbed her back. She wiped her mouth, closing her eyes. That had been disgusting. She couldn't stop shaking.

"We need to get down there." Tonks whispered. "Remus… we have to go."

"I know… I know. Poppy will be there. Let's go. Fred, easy. I've got you."

Hermione felt Draco wrap her in his arms and lift her. She pressed her head to his chest and tried not to move. As they walked, she kept counting the steps in sets of one hundred, attempting to distract herself from the pain that moving sent up the back of her head. Draco stopped and his arms tightened around her. Hermione opened her eyes.

The Great Hall. Only… bodies lay in neat rows where the tables had once been. Too many. Unmoving. Glassy eyed. Tears slid down her cheeks at that eerie, heart wrenching sight. The only sound in the room came from people who were collapsed on top of the dead, sobbing. "Close your eyes, witch." Draco said softly as he started to walk up an aisle between bodies to reach the raised platform.

Hermione didn't. She couldn't. The tears just kept coming. Draco sat her down carefully. His hands were shaking harder as he sat next to her, staring out at all the dead. He brought a knee up and put his elbow against it, covering his face with one trembling hand, still staring out at all of them.

Madam Pomfrey stood before them suddenly. She waved her wand at each of them.

"You're on the edge of a nervous breakdown, Mr. Malfoy. It's not the first time I've seen this from you, either." A quill floated on a pad of paper next to her. "You'll take a full dose of my calming draft and I won't hear any arguments this time." She turned to Hermione. Her face frowned in concern at the reading. "That's a massive concussion, Miss Granger. You need a deep sleeping draft, with accelerated healing. It'll keep you out for about fifteen or twenty minutes, but you should wake right as rain." She flicked her wand at the paper and it became a little airplane- flying up to join several others at the table. Several people were helping to administer potions and treatments from her lists. "I'll come see you shortly. Take the potions when they arrive." Her eyes flickered to Draco. Hermione wasn't sure if he had heard a word the healing witch had spoken. "...and make sure Mr. Malfoy takes his. He does not tend to follow my instructions in this state."

Hermione held Draco's hand gently as Madam Pomfrey went to her next patient. He didn't react. She squeezed gently. Still nothing. Painfully. He finally turned to look at her, a strained whisper escaping his lips. "If I never fixed that cabinet… if Dumbledore never died…" he shook his head no, incredibly pale, looking back out at the dead. "...none of this would have happened…"

"Draco, you don't know that-"

His grasp on her hand returned painfully. "...I saw the warnings." He breathed. "...there was going to be blood no matter what I did… this was the path with the least… but..." Draco couldn't close his eyes to the dead.

He was spiraling into a dangerous mindset. Hermione could feel it happening. A young girl came up to them and handed each a cup before darting away. Draco stared at the liquid like he didn't see it. Hermione kissed his cheek softly. "Draco, drink it. Beating yourself up isn't going to help right now. You need to calm down."

Kissing him seemed to help. He relaxed- barely, but it was something. Draco downed the cup. Hermione did the same for hers. She put hers down, then gently took Draco's, holding his hand again. A deep sense of peacefulness invaded her body. Draco's eyes grew heavy. They both stared at the cups in shock for a moment. "Wrong potions." Hermione whispered.

"No…" Draco tried to keep his eyes open. It was failing. She quickly helped him lay down. He shook his head no, trying to sit back up. "Not here. Not now..."

"It'll be alright, Draco." Hermione said softly, stroking his hair. "Calm down."

"You don't understand," he barely whispered. "I can't… control it…" His breathing evened and his body relaxed. Hermione called for Madam Pomfrey. The witch hurried over. She cursed when she recognized the mix up. "You stay still, Miss Granger. I'll have to heal you the slow way. Can't combine those potions."

Her wand began to move. The witch spent about ten minutes with her wand constantly circling Hermione's head, neck and shoulders. "Damn those children." The witch hissed when she finished. "What else did they do wrong?"

As Madam Pomfrey ran off after her unhelpful helpers, Hermione took Draco's hand in hers again. She was a little worried. He was going to see something, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. He said it himself, he couldn't control it.

Dobby appeared at the high table with bottles of potions for Madam Pomfrey. He glanced over at Hermione, then saw Draco. The elf froze. When Dobby had put all the bottles safely down, he hopped off the table and approached, looking more twitchy than she had ever seen him. "Is… is the young Malfoy resting his eyes?"

"He got my sleeping draft by mistake," Hermione said quietly.

Dobby took an ear in hand, wringing it nervously. "Was it dreamless sleep?" Dobby inquired, sounding almost hopeful.

Hermione shook her head. "Madam Pomfrey said it was a deep sleeping draft, with accelerated healing… do you…" Her eyes flickered about to make sure no one could hear. "Dobby… do you know how to stop it? I mean… is there any way to wake him up, before…" her voice died. Somehow, she knew Draco desperately needed to keep this secret. She didn't understand why, but she knew.

Dobby spoke quietly. "No way to stop it, Miss. Not with a potion like that." He looked down at Draco again. "Oh? Oh… oh no." Dobby took both ears in hand, beginning to rock back and forth. He looked ready to cry. "Dobby is a free elf… Dobby serves no Master… Dobby is a free elf… Dobby serves no Master." The chant continued for several moments. Until Draco broke out in a cold sweat and began muttering in his sleep. Dobby froze. His eyes went wider than dinner plates.

Winky appeared next to Dobby. Her eyes widened. She smacked his head, hard. "You keep your Master's secrets, Dobby! Be a good elf."

"Dobby is a good elf!" The small house elf yelped as he grabbed Draco's arm and they vanished. Hermione barely managed to catch Winky before she disappeared. They reappeared near the top of the staircase, out of sight of the Great Hall. Dobby stole Draco's wand from his pocket and handed it to Hermione. "Silence the area, Miss. It will be bad when he wakes." Draco began to mutter loudly, tossing his head, clenching his fists. "Quickly. Quickly!" Dobby wrung his ears, dancing on both feet, looking around to make sure no one could see them.

Hermione flicked the wand to silence the hall. Draco screamed as he leapt to his feet. His eyes were strange. Unfocused- terrified. He reached for his wand and then went rigid, twitching violently as he stood at an awkward angle. Then he collapsed and immediately burst into tears, on his knees, forehead pressed to the stone.

She didn't know how to react. Hermione had never seen such a curious episode. Dobby surprised her. He vanished for a moment and returned with a cup full of a potion. The elf knelt by Draco, then put a hand gently to the back of his skull. "Calming draft, young sir. Sit up now. Get your back on a wall."

Shakily, Draco obeyed the command. They looked at each other carefully as the house elf passed him the cup. Draco's hand shook violently as he tried to lift it. Dobby wrapped his long fingers around Draco's and assisted. Once the draft was down, the shaking stopped. They sat in silence as the cup came back down to the ground. Hermione couldn't believe the conversation she heard.

"...why didn't you come back?" Draco said quietly to Dobby, clenching his hands together in his lap, eyes following his hands.

"Dobby is a free elf. Dobby has no Master." The elf spoke proudly, but his eyes welled with tears as he did. He put a hand on top of Draco's head. Draco closed his eyes at the touch. Dobby smoothed his hair as he kept speaking. "…your eyes changed, Draco. You was turning into your father, you was. Dobby couldn't stay and watch. It was breaking Dobby's heart, sir. You was a bad boy. Dobby wasn't teaching you to be that way."

"He took you away from me because you stopped listening to me." Draco snapped angrily, eyes flashing open to meet Dobby's. He actually looked hurt. "You should've come back… at least have said goodbye."

Dobby blinked. Two large tears ran down his face. Then he hugged Draco tightly around the neck, wailing, sobbing, clinging to Draco. Hermione was stunned to see Draco hugged him back. The elf patted his head three times and Draco let go. "Goodbye, young Master."

Dobby was still crying as he made his way to Winky. He looked back at Draco once and closed his eyes, turning away, resting his head on Winky's shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him and with a crack the two vanished.

Draco pulled his knees up to his chest and pressed his head against them. Hermione quickly walked over and sat next to him, trying to understand. "Draco… Dobby… he was your house elf?"

"He was my nanny," Draco's voice was soft. "Right up until Hogwarts. My Father took him away after that. Said I couldn't take him to school, plus… Dobby disobeyed an order from me in front of him."

Hermione couldn't imagine Dobby being a nanny. That house elf seemed too accident prone to take care of a child. "What order?"

Draco laughed bitterly. "I was being a prat. Told him to go get my Father's fire whiskey because I wanted to try it. I wasn't allowed. Dobby scolded me for it. Called me a bad boy for the first time… Father only heard that part. He didn't believe me when I admitted I'd asked Dobby to get the alcohol. Thought I was trying to cover for the elf. Lost him that day. Never realized how often Dobby got me through the bad nights. He still snuck in on the worst of them- but barely long enough to shove a potion down my throat. He'd been ordered not to talk to me. I thought… after that trick with the sock… I'd hoped he might…" Draco sighed and shook his head, shoulders falling. "...doesn't matter. Freedom suits him. He's always been stronger, and stranger than other elves. I'm grateful he got me out of there. Someone would've recognized a Dreamer fit."

"That's what that was?" Hermione felt a jolt as she recalled the strangeness of his body. He nodded. "What did you see?"

Draco let one leg fall, straightening up and putting the back of his head against the wall behind him. His silver eyes opened and stared at the ceiling. "... Severus… he's dead." Draco looked so tired. "A snake. It…" he swallowed hard, "...it ripped out his bloody throat..."

Hermione put a hand on her lips, stunned. "How do you know?"

Draco closed his eyes. He looked a little green. "I was in Severus' shoes. I… felt the teeth. The venom… and Hermione…" his eyes opened again, looking at her. He looked miserable. "...Harry has to go to the forest." Her heart stopped in her chest. "...I get it now…" Draco took her hand. "It's so fucked up… but I get it."

"Get what?" Hermione pulled away from him, shaking her head no.

"C'mon, Hermione…" a voice behind her spoke. A strained voice. "You don't need him to tell you. I think you know… I think you've known for a long time."

Hermione stood quickly. Harry was there. How had he snuck into her sound barrier? He looked pale, but determined. There was no fear hanging around him. She paled. He'd already made up his mind. "Harry? You can't be serious! You can't-"

"He made seven, 'Mione," Harry said softly. "...think about it…" He pushed his hair from his face. His scar became visible for a moment, then he dropped his hand. "...seven."

A stab of cold realization hit her. A sob caught in her throat. She had considered it, a few times. The thought had been too terrible. The reality was soul crushing. "No… oh Harry… no!" She threw her arms around his neck, trembling, holding him tighter than she ever had. He embraced her just as strongly. Tears broke down her cheeks.

"I can't face Ron. He'll never understand." Harry said softly into her shoulder. "I… I have to go."

She nodded, an awful pain growing in her chest. "I'll go with you."

She had to let go of her parents, and now she had to let go of her best friend? He shook his head no. Another sob caught in her throat. "It's not fair." She whispered, "Harry… it's not right!"

He pried her away, pressing her backwards and she went slowly, still shaking, tears sliding down her cheeks. Two warm arms wrapped at her waist. Hermione put her hands on top of them, staring at Harry. He looked at the man over her shoulder. "You better take care of her, Draco, or else I'm coming back as a ghost to haunt you."

She felt Draco nod. "Potter, if you see my Mother… tell her the truth."

Harry looked confused but he nodded. As he descended the stone stairwell for the last time, his shoulders were set. Those green eyes never looked back.

He was halfway down the stairs when Hermione was seized with a desire to go catch him, keep him, force him to stay. She didn't want to say goodbye. But she hadn't! She forgot to say goodbye, and if she didn't now, she never could! Hermine tried to yell- but she couldn't. Nothing came out. She tried pulling out of Draco's hold. One more hug. One more hug, and a proper goodbye, then she could let him go. Right? A painful sound hurt her throat. One more hug, and she'd never let him go this time. She knew that.

Draco's arms tightened around her. He pulled her out of sight from the stairwell. Dread filled her chest when the last thing she ever saw Harry do burned into her brain. It was his hands pulling out his invisibility cloak.

"God, no," Hermione started shaking harder. She couldn't lose Harry, too. Trembling hands pried at his fingers. "No," she whispered, "I have to stop him. He can't- he can't-" Draco's grasp was solid. There was no way out. "Please. Let me go."

"He has to, Hermione. Go after him now, make a bigger deal out of this, it'll just hurt him." Draco kissed the back of her head. "...I can't let you do that."

"I can't lose him, too, Draco!" But she would. She knew that now. Harry was the horcrux Voldemort had never meant to make. Harry had to die. And the tears were back. Worse. Destroying her. She broke and Draco's arms embraced her, turned her, cradled her body against his as they slid to the floor. "I can't… I can't lose him too!" Hermione choked, clinging to Draco tightly. "It's too much. It's not fair. Why Harry?"

He never let go of her, and Hermione was convinced his arms were the only thing that kept her from falling apart into a million pieces. Draco didn't say anything. There was nothing he could say to make it better. By the time she managed to stop crying, her eyes hurt, her head was pounding, nose was stuffy, and the grief of losing Harry had settled into her chest alongside her parents.

They sat there now in an exhausted silence. Draco pressed his lips against her forehead, lingering there for a long time. Suddenly, Hermione needed him to kiss her. She needed to feel that pull of energy between them, needed something to counter the grief she felt ripping her heart from her chest.

Hermione took his hand and put it to her heart. Draco paused for a moment, sitting back a little to read her eyes. His gaze softened. He slid his hand to her cheek. "...let me try something else, Granger. Can I tap into our bond?"

Hermione nodded. His hands were gentle as he adjusted her in his lap. She straddled him now, his hands came to her face and held her lightly as his lips found hers.

When he tapped into their connection, it felt like his comforting embrace filled her from head to toe, and wrapped around every inch of her body. Hermione didn't understand, but she was grateful for the sudden flood of warmth in her veins.

Then he found it. Unexpectedly. She wasn't sure how. A fear she'd never voiced- I'm afraid. Afraid I'm going to lose everyone I love. They'll leave. Die… walk away. And I'll be stuck. Alone.

Draco deepened the kiss, running a hand up into her hair. She was a little shocked as she felt an answer. I won't leave you. The fear loosened in her chest. That was followed with a powerful sensation of belonging that she had never felt. His hand dug into her hair slightly as she felt it again, stronger this time. I won't leave you, and I'm not letting you go.

Hermione kissed him back, relief sweeping through her chest, softening the fear. His other hand went to her waist and pressed her hips down against him. She started shivering. The energy was changing. Draco wouldn't leave it at that. Maybe he couldn't. This was the most intense sensation she'd ever felt. His thought now. I want you. The surge of desire from his touch lit up her body in a heartbeat. She broke the kiss, not ready for the intensity of that. Draco kissed her throat as he spoke. "…got carried away."

Hermione nodded. Seemed like an easy thing to do. She lightly ran her fingers through his hair. That touch hadn't changed anything about the reality facing her now, but it had given her a level of comfort that she hadn't ever felt. Hermione felt a little less alone now.

"...how much more have you seen?"

Draco stiffened at the question. He gently pulled her off of his lap. Hermione felt him shut her out as her spoke. "Don't ask me that."

She didn't understand. Maybe it hurt him to roll over thoughts in his mind? "...is there anything we might be able to change?"

"Stop, Hermione. Discussing visions can change paths. It isn't safe to do unless you're in a special chamber- and there's a particular method. Examining possible outcomes too closely can alter things." His face darkened. "...and not always for the better. I took a big gamble with Aberforth, just telling him there were three options, reading faces of the dead. All of them were drawn towards us, after that. If… if it had gone differently…" he clenched his jaw. "...no. No more."

Hermione kissed his cheek gently, nodding. That kind of logic reminded her about something she'd read in physics. There were more connections between the magical and non-magical world than most people realized.

"What now?" Hermione said softly, resting her head against his shoulder.

"We wait." Draco said quietly. "C'mon, we should get back to the hall. The Weasley's are going to worry about you. Maybe Madam Pomfrey needs a couple of people who know how to bloody read her notes."

They stood and made their way back to the halls. Sure enough, the healing witch needed capable, calm hands. She evicted a couple of helpers who had been mucking her system and let Hermione and Draco assist in their place. Hermione was grateful for the distraction from the dead, continuing to pile up in the hall.

Soon, the wounded were all tended, or sleeping. Hermione and Draco found their way to the Weasley's. Ginny sat, embraced in her Mother's arms. The brothers were still searching for the dead and injured, coming and going from the main hall. Mr. Wealsey was talking to Kingsley in a corner. Draco sat next to Molly and Hermione sat in front of him. His arms pulled her into his chest. Hermione closed her eyes, lacing her fingers through the back of one of his hands. He kissed the back of her head softly.

Ginny sniffled slightly in the strained silence. She shifted slightly and her voice asked the worst question. "Anybody seen Harry? He went off to Dumbledore's office. Haven't seen him come back yet."

"Saw him on the staircase," Draco lied smoothly. "Said he was gonna go find Longbottom."

Ginny nodded, Hermione heard her friend turn back to her mother. Draco squeezed Hermione's hand tightly. She felt the tears slide down her face again. Lying to Ginny. That was awful. She'd never lied to Ginny. Even though Draco was the one who said it, Hermione knew the truth, but she stayed silent. What good would it do? Ginny would be heartbroken soon enough. Would it be kinder to do it now? No. There was no kindness in any of this. Hermione took her other hand and reached for Ginny's, squeezing tightly. Her friend returned the gesture.

When the hour was up, she never imagined how hard it would really be to hear Ginny scream. To see Harry in Hagrid's arms. Dead.

Please review!

*Voldemort quote taken directly from book by J.K. Rowling. Not mine.

Sorry for all the typos. Posted first version too soon. Hope I found them all!


	12. Chapter 12: The End of the War

Please review!

Chapter 12: The End of the War

How did they get outside? To the front steps? Her mind was blank. She couldn't think. Hermione felt her head spinning. The sound of the screams around her tore straight through her chest. She was screaming, too, but she didn't understand anything coming out of her mouth. Hearing Ginny, seeing Fred and George struggling to hold her back, was the worst thing that she'd ever seen. Hermione felt disconnected from her body. This couldn't be happening. It couldn't be real. Harry couldn't be dead.

"Silence!" Voldemort waved his wand over the crowd. A magically binding silence washed over the crowd. He was talking. Hermione wasn't listening. Her eyes never left Harry's corpse. Hagrid was forced to lay him on the ground at Voldemort's feet.

Hermione was about to summon him to her- just to keep him away from Voldemort. Draco caught her hand at the last second. "Don't," he breathed softly.

"Draco." A firm voice cut through the air. "Come."

His hand tightened on hers as his head snapped up and he froze. Narcissa had stepped from the crowd and met his eyes. Why was she with them? Why wasn't she back at Grimmauld Place? Hermione felt Draco's hand slowly slide away from hers. "No." She whispered as he took one step away.

He paused, turning back to her for a moment. "Hermione, I-"

"You said you wouldn't leave me." Hermione whispered painfully, crossing her arms over her chest, trying to contain how that awful sensation flooded her body. The thought of him leaving her side was surprisingly distressing.

Draco froze again, staring at her eyes. "...you're right…" He stepped back to get side and shook his head no at his mother. "I'm _sorry._" The words barely left his lips. Hermione wasn't sure if he meant it to his mother or to her. A strong arm reached around Hermione and pulled her to his side, fingers digging in a little too hard. "She could die for this." His voice was barely audible. Hermine looked up at him sharply. He was staring at his mother and both had gone white as a ghost. "Voldemort could kill her, right now, just because." Draco was shaking as he spoke the next words. "I can't watch. Not this." He turned his head into her hair.

Hermione felt a wave of guilt. She'd just made him choose between them. And he'd chosen to keep his word to her. At what cost? What had she been thinking? "...I… I didn't think, Draco. Go to her. Quickly-"

"Too late." Draco muttered. "They all see me holding you, now." He kissed the top of her head. "C'mon, Aunt Bella-say something about this- distract him from her- get mad at me…"

Hermione had a sudden idea. Her head snapped to see Bellatrix staring at Narcissa. Draco pulled away at her sudden turn. Bella's gaze began to move back towards them. Without any warning, Hermione turned to Draco and kissed him full on the lips- where she purposefully lingered and began to deepen. Draco gently pulled away, caught off guard. "What are you doing?"

"You filthy little mudblood!" Bellatrix screamed. Both of them jumped. "She's cursed him. She's twisted his mind! Draco would never- _**never-**_"

"I beg to disagree, Bellatrix." Lucius. His voice cold. He stepped out from the crowd, cold eyes locked to Draco, a murderous look on his face. "He's under no enchantment."

Narcissa slowly slide to her knees, before her eyes closed and she fainted. Lucius moved with her and caught her carefully. Bellatrix rushed over. "Look at what you've done to my Cissy!" Bellatrix spat at Draco. "I'll kill you, Draco!"

"No." Voldemort spoke now. Coolly. "Lucius, this stain is on your hands. You will be the one to erase it… someone give him a wand. You will take care of your son, Lucius."

Hermione saw a wand pushed into Lucius' hands. Those silver eyes were hard as ice. "I have a son no longer. I merely see a Blood Traitor, my Lord. I will dispose of him."

"How unfortunate." Voldemort continued, looking bored as he turned away. "Is there no one that would come forward? Pledge yourself to me, be forgiven, and help create the new world? Is there no one that would choose to come to the winning side?"

There was movement. Neville stepped forward. Hermione couldn't hear him. Draco's fingers digging in her side was starting to hurt. She winced, putting a hand over his. He relaxed. "That was brilliant." He breathed. His eyes hadn't left his family. Bellatrix was kneeling with her sister, trying to revive her. She seemed distracted by Neville's speech and turned sharply. A sly smile lit her features.

Hermione saw Lucius. His cold eyes bore into the two of them. It made her skin crawl.

"Your father…" she muttered, "Draco, is he really going to come after you?"

"...yes." Draco replied softly. "...you need to stay away from me when all hell breaks loose. I don't know what he'd do to you." He turned to look at her seriously. "Promise me, Hermione."

Hermione was about to argue with him when several things happened at once. Neville was yelling- shouting something. The crowd began to yell with him. Voldemort silences them again. Her voice locked in her throat. Voldemort summoned the sorting hat from the castle. He shoved it on Neville's head and then set him on fire. Hermione gasped. Wands were coming out everywhere- but then Neville pulled a sword from the hat and cut off the head of a large snake that had been with Voldemort.

Chaos erupted. Hagrid was screaming for Harry. Spells began to explode left and right. Draco took Hermione's arm and dragged her back inside the castle. He shoved her up against a wall and kissed her, hard on the mouth for a moment. His silver eyes met hers as he spoke rapidly. "Take care of yourself, witch. Stay alive."

"Be careful, Draco." Hermione felt his lips brush her cheek and then he was gone.

It had been a brilliant idea for her to come inside. Hermione knew she could do a lot more to help if she could see more of the field. She ran to a nearby window, smashed it open at the corner, and started to snipe stun, curse and jinx every single death eater she could find. Her aim was immaculate. Distanced from the mob of voices, she could think, and focus. When a spell hit just above her shoulder from behind, she ducked. The fighting was pushing in here? It was! Many people were pushing within the main entrance hall. The noise was unbelievable. She began to fight up close. That was much harder. There was less time to think- she was reacting more than planning. She bumped into someone and looked over her shoulder quickly.

"Hello Hermione." Luna! The strange girl smiled at her as she sent a hex straight at an approaching Death Eater. The man fell, transfiguring into a stone. Another flick sent it soaring through a shattered window. "You're looking well."

The two began to fight, back to back. Luna's spells were fierce. She knew several horrible curses that Hermione had never seen. Tonks came into sight- and Ginny. Thank God they were alright.

Bellatrix Lestrange suddenly loomed within Hermione's vision from across the hall. She raised her wand. The pain that tore at her chest was worse than any Crucio she'd ever known. Hermione dropped to the ground, screaming, shrieking. This was beyond anything she ever had ever suffered. Why was it so much worse? Her heart. Her lungs. Hermione had never felt the Crucio squeeze so tightly. It felt like her chest was being crushed like a handful of grapes. Popping in her chest. What was popping? The pain was continuous- growing- her vision darkened. She couldn't breathe.

"No!" A voice bellowed. Hermione found herself bodily soaring across the room. "Leave it, Bellatrix! I claim them- I claim them **both**!"

"Hermione, no!" Ginny screamed.

"Oh no you don't!" Bellatrix laughed as she spoke.

Hermione's head was spinning. There was a flutter of a banner. She found herself sitting, suddenly pushed up against a wall to stay upright. "Quickly, Draco."

Her eyes snapped open. Her vision still wasn't clear, but she recognized Lucius Malfoy's voice. The man was carefully helping her sit up against the wall. Everything hurt. She coughed. Blood stained her lip. The taste was coppery in her mouth. What had Bellatrix done? She coughed harder. The blood was choking her. Vision was going dark again. Breathing hurt. Eyes hurt. She needed sleep. Her eyes closed.

A gentle shake sent pain flaring through her body. She groaned, and coughed harder, forcing her eyes open. More blood. Draco came into focus. Fuzzily. He took her wrist in his. Draco pushed something on her and laced his fingers with hers.

Lucius put both his hands around theirs. His voice sounded far away. She felt far away. "By the magic of the blood of our ancestors that dwells within these veins, I now pronounce you man and wife." Lucius sounded concerned. "Hurry it up, son."

Draco kissed her softly on the lips. Several things happened at once. All her senses came alive at his kiss. Something shifted in their hands- she felt it. A ring? He'd put a ring on her? The taste of blood in her mouth vanished, and so did the pain. Her vision cleared and she suddenly felt an awareness for Draco's presence that she had never felt. Hermione pulled away from his lips in surprise.

"Alright now, Draco, stun me and leave me here." His father released their hands.

Draco turned to look at him. "Thank-"

"Not _now_ boy, do it!"

Draco stunned Lucius. The man slid down against the stone wall. Hermione felt Draco take her hand. A Death Eater burst through the nearby curtain. He saw Lucius on the ground and cried out in anger. Draco and Hermione both shot spells at them. More people were coming through the curtain. They ran down the passage, shooting spells over their shoulders. Hermione heard someone revitalize Lucius.

She pointed her wand at the ceiling and a solid wall of stone came down behind them to block the path. She did that several times, just to be sure, and at the end of the passage, she created a barrier.

They were both panting, out of breath. Draco put his hands on his knees, leaning against a wall as he gasped for air. Hermione stood there, and slowly raised her hand to her face. A ring was on her hand. A wedding ring? She started shaking.

"Explain." Hermione managed to get out, pointing towards the hall they had come through, stumbling backwards until her back hit the wall across from him. Her chest was heaving with the effort of breathing after that sprint. "Explain _now_."

"Bellatrix targeted our bond." Draco spoke in a rush. "We both went down- but she was trying to destroy your part." He wiped sweat from his forehead, standing straight, meeting her eyes. He was still trying to catch his breath. "My father knew. My mother told him. He had their rings ready, just in case."

"No." Hermione whispered, realizing now what Lucius had said. "Draco… did you just marry me? Actually marry me? Without even asking?!"

"Look there wasn't much choice!" He spat angrily. "Hermione, you were dying! That kind of attack was meant to kill you. Marriage magic was the only thing that could counter that extent of damage to you and your magical core quickly."

Hermione felt a panic attack coming. She couldn't breathe. Draco rushed over to her and took her in his arms quickly. "No, no, no, no, no- not now. It isn't safe here." She felt him tap into their bond and that intense comforting sensation wrapped in and around her. She held him tightly, closing her eyes, feeling the panic recede. He smoothed her hair. "There was no time. I had to do it." He kissed the top of her head gently. "Fight me about it later, okay? We can't stay here."

He was right, he really was, and the exploding of a nearby statue confirmed it. They were fighting together now, rushing away from the secret passage. Their pursuers managed to get through. The twins saw them and blasted several hexes at the Death Eaters so Hermione and Draco could rush past. Somehow they all made it through that chaos and back towards the entrance hall.

Everyone was still, transfixed by two fights. Molly Weasley had taken on Bellatrix. Hermione froze. She had never seen anyone fight like that. Kingsley, McGonagall, Tonks and Lupin had Voldemort pinned down at the moment.

Bellatrix gave a barking laugh that reminded Hermione of Sirius. Molly shot a killing curse. Bellatrix didn't even have time to scream.

Voldemort did, though. He roared and blasted his foes away with an intense wave of magic that pushed everyone back. He tried to shoot killing spells at them- but every single one was _blocked!_

"He did it." Draco breathed.

Hermione didn't understand. Then, she saw an all too familiar flicker. Black hair. Green eyes. Her heart soared. She screamed. "Harry!"

He was alive! Hermione felt Draco catch her. Had she been about to fall? She clung to him, staring, unable to believe that he was really there.

"This is the way it has to be!" Harry was yelling. Everything went deathly silent, then whispers rose and fell like soft waves on the sand.

"...that's my wand," Draco said suddenly, looking at Harry's hands. "_Damn_ him."

Hermione knew that Voldemort and Harry were talking. Their voices filled the room. It was hard for Hermione to focus. Just the sight of Harry taking on Voldemort alone made it difficult to focus on anything else.

"The elder wand never belonged to Snape."

Hermione paused. Elder wand? That ridiculous story from the book Dumbledore gave her? She glanced more carefully at Voldemort's wand. She recognized it. Dumbledore's wand. Why was Harry thinking that was the elder wand? Then it clicked. Everything tumbled together in her mind and she gasped silently, turning to stare at Draco. He glanced at her, then paused, narrowing his eyes in confusion at that look on her face.

"_You_." Hermione whispered softly.

He shook his head in confusion. "Me what?"

"It belonged to Draco Malfoy." Harry continued.

Both of them returned their eyes to the battle below. "No matter. I can take care of that later."

Draco turned again to her, speaking softly. "Me? What belongs to me?"

"But I took this wand from him." Harry lifted the wand in his hand slightly. "It answers to me now."

Draco hissed the next words in her ear. "Granger, what the hell-"

"I'll explain later," Hermione promised, putting a finger to his lips.

"So here's the real question… does that wand in your hand answer to you? Or does it recognize its true Master?"

Hermione held her breath. She could feel the end of this drawing near. Harry surprised her suddenly. Telling Voldemort to show some remorse. Her eyes softened. Only Harry would want to try to save a man like Voldemort. He had to try to save everyone, didn't he? Hermione found Draco's hand and squeezed hard. Their rings pressed against each other.

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Expelliarmus!"

Voldemort went down. It was over. It was finally over. Hermione was running, dragging Draco with her. He let go of her hand as she threw her arms around Harry's neck, sobbing, holding him close. Ron was there. And Ginny. And everyone. Harry was mobbed in the arms of half the castle. Hermione couldn't believe it.

Soon, there was butter beer flowing. The house elves had food and drink for everyone. The twins set off a magnificent firework display outside the windows of the castle. Everyone celebrated. Hermione even managed to get Draco to laugh. She hadn't heard that sound. Not like that. Not followed up with a kiss that made her toes curl.

His parents came over and Draco asked her to give them some time alone. She went off to find Luna, Neville, Tonks and Lupin. From across the room she could see Lucius, Narcissa and Draco sat speaking quietly in the Great Hall. Hermione had just found Neville and hugged him tightly, praising him for killing the snake when she realized what was happening.

The Death Eaters were being gathered to be taken to Azkaban. Hermione felt her heart stop in her chest when three officials stood in front of the Malfoy family. She started running. Lucius and Draco both silently handed over their wands and the family stood together. Narcissa embraced both her husband and son before she was bound. Lucius next. Draco last. Hermione threw her arms around him from behind, pausing the officials.

"No." She whispered softly, heart in her throat. "Draco-"

"Hermione… you know what I did." Draco's voice was calm. He turned his head to look at her over his shoulder. "Let go."

She shook her head no, turning her face away from him, pressing her head against his back. She heard Lucius mutter something to the official. Draco's bonds were released. "You've got three minutes. Say goodbye."

Hermione felt Draco take her by the hand. They walked behind another hidden banner in the Great Hall. One she didn't know. It was near the Slytherin table, of course she wouldn't have known it. She felt like her heart was about to break again.

Behind the curtain, he took her face in his hands and kissed her lips softly. "I have to go, Hermione."

"You said we could fight about it later," she argued back. "How can we do that if you're being taken off to Azkaban?" And there it was. That pain clenched around her heart again. She out a hand to her chest, cringing, surprised as he did the same.

"Marriage magic," Draco said softly. "It wants us to stay close to solidify the bond." He stroked her cheek softly. She closed her eyes at the touch. His fingers brushed her hair away. "It's gonna hurt to be apart, Granger, and there's no way to avoid that. But it isn't doing any permanent damage… just sucks. We can still fight later." He pulled her against him, silver eyes burning intensely as he took her chin in his fingertips. "Right now, please just… kiss me goodbye."

Hermione pressed her mouth against his, hard, and wrapped her arms around his neck, digging her nails into his hair, pressing her tongue against his. The fiery kiss soon melted into something warm, something tender, something that she couldn't name, something she didn't want to end. A tear slid down her cheek when his lips pulled away from hers. He kissed the tear away before pressing his forehead against hers, smoothing her hair softly. The official pulled the curtain away. "Time's up."

Draco stepped away from her. The official bound his arms. Hermione stepped out from the curtain. Every step he took away from her made a little more pain creep up her spine. She felt the tears burning her eyes but she didn't blink. She didn't cry. He looked over his shoulder at her at the door and gave a sad smile. Then he was gone.

Hermione closed her eyes. Two tears slid down her face as she fell to her knees. Warm arms wrapped around her. She put both hands up to cover her face. A very familiar voice swore softly. "Mum- _Mum!_"

Footsteps rushed closer. "What is it Ron?"

"...did she have that, this entire time?"

Hermione lowered her hands, looking up into the face of Ronald Weasley. His blue eyes were soft, concerned, locked on the ring she wore. Molly knelt slowly, taking Hermione's hand in hers. "I… I didn't see it…" she pressed both hands around Hermione's gently. "Sweetheart… were you hiding this?"

She shook her head no. "Just happened. Before Harry…" she swallowed hard. "Bellatrix… nearly killed me. Targeted the bond. Lucius m-married us. Draco said this… it…"

"Kept you alive." Ron and Molly spoke together. She nodded. Her chest ached again. Hermione pressed a hand to it, gasping in surprise.

Ron wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "Mum, what do we do?"

"Oh dear… oh darling, I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how much this must hurt right now." Molly smoothed her hair gently. "Ron, stay with her. Let me talk to Kingsley. Maybe there's something he can do."

Hermione pressed her head against Ron's shoulder. The pain in her chest pulsed steadily now. Dull, but the constant sensation made her heart ache all the same. Did Draco feel this too? Was that possible? She started to cry. Ron tensed. He never knew what to do when she cried.

"Ron- stop being such a git. Move over!"

Hermione opened her eyes to see Ginny there. Her friend hit her across the face. Hermione blinked, startled. "That's enough of that!" Ginny yanked her to her feet. "You're the bloody golden girl, Hermione. You go stop those officials and _tell_ them they're not taking him."

Hermione found Ginny dragging her across the hall to the door. "Oi! OI! Charlie, Bill, Percy, Fred, George, Dad- get over here. Ron, Harry, you too!"

"Ginny, this is impossible-" Hermione whispered. "They'll never-"

"Shut up. Hey! Hey you! Hold it!" Ginny cried. A chorus of feet behind her joined them in the hallway. Ginny pushed Hermione in front of her, hissing in her ear. "Are you really just gonna let him go without a fight? Come up with something! Now!"

There were officials taking groups of Death Eaters from the castle. The Malfoy family stood at the door. They had been the last. Draco looked confused. Hermione felt relief in her chest, just being close to him again.

Words came to her suddenly. The truth. That had to count for something. She crossed her arms over her chest, her voice surprisingly steady considering how hard her heart was pounding. "This family was held hostage in the Manor for the past several years. They were victims. You can't take them to Azkaban." The officials looked at each other in disbelief. Molly Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt stepped inside. She saw Kingsley eyes flicker to Draco's hand, and then hers.

Hermione kept talking, ignoring that look. "Lucius was forced to hunt down Death Eaters. Draco was forced to torture his victims. Narcissa was a hostage, and if they didn't follow orders, her life was on the line. They didn't have a choice, if they wanted to keep each other safe. This is wrong."

Draco looked surprised. He stared at her. No one spoke for several moments. Hermione felt raw, but she was convinced that they were considering what she was saying now. "Don't take them there. They don't deserve this." What else could she say that would convince them that was the truth?

"She's right," Harry spoke up. That was unexpected. He stepped forward next to Hermione. "Narcissa lied to Voldemort. She told him I was dead, when she felt my heart beating. She just wanted the war to end, and she wanted to know Draco was safe. I would never have been able to make it back here without her help."

Luna stepped forward. Hermione stared at her strange friend. Where had she come from? "I can tell you, Draco Malfoy was forced to torture me. He switched to the Imperius curse as often as he could. Tried to help it hurt less. Snuck healing potions in with my food when he came down. I bet every one of his victims would say the same."

Draco bowed his head at her words. Hermione could see the shame in his eyes. Kingsley exhaled slowly, eyes traveling all the faces.

"You all will have to provide extensive testimonies and evidence supporting that story. This family is guilty of serious war crimes." Kingsley spoke quietly. "I could release two of them into the Weasley's custody… if they'd take that responsibility… but one of them must go. I can't allow all of them to walk away from this. Arthur?"

Arthur looked to Molly. She nodded. The man was confused but he spoke slowly, recognizing that he was missing something here. "...Alright, Kingsley, we can take two of them. Who do you want to take?"

"Me." Lucius spoke immediately. He turned to Kingsley. "I've got the most information. You can take my memories. All of them. Besides... I'm the one that joined the Dark Lord in the first place. My family never would have been involved if not for me."

Both Narcissa and Draco immediately snapped their heads to Lucius. Both narrowed their eyes, pursed their lips and started to argue at the same time.

"Lucius, please, if you go to Azkaban-"

"Father, you weren't the one torturing people-"

"Enough." Lucius spoke firmly but in a final tone. His eyes snapped to both members of his family and the two fell silent at that look. "This isn't up for discussion." He turned towards Kingsley. "They can give whatever memories you require from the Weasley's custody, correct?"

Kingsley silently nodded. He raised his wand and the bonds on Narcissa and Draco broke. Narcissa kissed her husband's cheek softly. Draco embraced his Father tightly. "Take care of your mother, Draco."

He nodded as he pulled away. Narcissa took Draco's arm tightly. Draco put a hand on hers gently. Neither looked away as an official took Lucius by the arm and marched him out of the grounds before apparting. One of the other officials approached Arthur and handed him Narcissa's wand.

Hermione took Ginny's hand and squeezed it tightly. It worked. She would've sat there and cried if Ginny hadn't slapped sense into her skull. It really worked! Ginny turned to her and gave a roguish grin as she leaned in to whisper in Hermione's ear. "You had better give me _all_ the details when we get home."

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	13. Chapter 13: Exposed

Please review!

Chapter 13: Exposed

Draco turned around slowly as Narcissa released his arm. Molly Weasley put an arm around the taller witch, patting her back gently. "Come on, now."

The two walked back inside the Great Hall, speaking quietly. Draco met Hermione's eyes. Arthur was waving at Draco to come back to the hall. His feet returned to Hermione. For several long minutes, he just stared at her.

"...why did you do that?" He asked quietly.

She took his hand in hers silently and squeezed gently. Draco turned his gaze to their hands. His thumb softly brushed against her ring. "I thought you wanted to fight about this."

"Later." Hermione replied gently. Draco looked a little too pale, the signs of stress magnified in his features now. He laced his fingers with hers as they walked inside and sat down near Narcissa and Molly. The witches stopped talking, turning to look at Draco as he sat. Both Malfoy's seemed slightly stunned, unable to process what had just happened… but Draco looked especially worn out.

"Draco, are you alright?" Hermione asked gently, squeezing his hand.

"We worked so hard not to be separated." Draco said quietly, closing his eyes and shaking his head. He looked slightly defeated.

Narcissa placed a hand on her son's shoulder and squeezed lightly. "It's alright, Draco. Your father will be safe."

"We don't know that." Draco opened his eyes and stared straight at the floor. "The amount of information he can give is going to make him a target…"

"We should get you back to the Burrow so you can rest." Molly said softly. Narcissa nodded as she turned her eyes to the red haired woman. Molly nodded back. Narcissa put an arm around Draco. Both of them closed their eyes and a strained half smile appeared on both faces. Hermione had seen the similarities Draco had to Lucius, but she had never seen Narcissa's.

It wasn't long before Arthur announced that they were leaving. It took a little while to find Harry, but once they did, they made their way to the Burrow. Most of the Weasley's went about, securing all of the protection spells around their home. Narcissa and Draco sat in the living room for a while. They still seemed strangely numb. Molly brought them both tea. Ginny was talking to her Mother about sleeping arrangements when Draco nearly fell face first to the floor. Hermione caught him quickly, shifting his fall so he landed on the couch.

"Draco?!" Hermione had never seen him pass out like this.

"Thank you, Molly." Narcissa put her cup down. She stood, walking over to Draco's side before kneeling. The witch pushed his hair from his face and kissed his forehead softly.

Molly nodded silently, looking sad. "Narcissa, are you sure about this?"

"What just happened?" Hermione breathed. "We… we have to wake him up!"

"It's alright, Hermione." Molly said gently. She took a blanket and walked it over. "Dreamless sleep- one he has taken a million times. He won't have any visions this time."

She could not have heard correctly. Her eyes snapped to Narcissa. "You… you told her? Draco said it had to be kept a secret-"

The woman smoothed her son's hair again. She took the blanket from Molly. Hermione stood, taking off Draco's shoes before pulling his feet up on the couch. The blanket was spread over his body. Narcissa put his hands on top of it.

"They will sentence Lucius to death for his crimes," Narcissa said as she knelt by Draco again, stroking his hair. "It doesn't take a vision to know that, but it came to me when I kissed him goodbye." Ginny put a hand over her mouth, staring at Narcissa. "...I can't lose them." Narcissa continued to stroke Draco's hair, shaking her head no as she looked at his face. "Not after everything we went through to stay together. I'm going to tell Kingsley what I am, and offer my services as an accurate Seer in exchange for sparing Lucius' life and giving him reasonable terms. Visitation, a limit on the number of years served… and if my visions prove to be good enough, his release someday."

Ginny shook her head no. "But accurate readers… aren't they isolated and drugged half the time? To leave them more receptive to visions? And the really good ones are even put into monthly sleeps. I heard Dad talking about it once… it sounded awful."

Narcissa smiled sadly at her sleeping son. "Yes, dear, and that's only the beginning." She looked up at Molly. "There's no other way to save my husband. Before I go, there are things Draco needs from the Manor-"

"Narcissa, what if they take him, too?" Molly pressed gently.

"They won't. I'm a Seer. He's a Dreamer. Draco only sees the past clearly. His futures are always multiple and uncertain. I don't see the past at all. He wouldn't be useful, drugged in that way for the Ministry." Narcissa cleared her throat gently. "Can Arthur take me to the Manor? It'll take a couple of hours to gather everything."

Molly sent Ginny outside to find him. "...we'll keep him safe, Narcissa."

"I know you will," the witch said quietly. "You don't owe us this, Molly."

"You're not going to tell him?" Hermione stared at Narcissa. "You can't just leave without saying goodbye. That'll kill him."

"My son would never let me do this," Narcissa replied gently as she turned her eyes to Hermione. Her eyes fell to the rings on their hands but she didn't comment on them. "...you are right. I will wake him to say goodbye. He won't take it well."

Arthur returned. After quickly getting him up to speed, he, Charlie and Narcissa vanished within the flames. Molly shooed both Ginny and Hermione from the living room, casting silencing charms to keep Draco asleep.

Ginny and Hermione sat together on Ginny's bed in silence at first. "So… he's a Dreamer. Explains why he always looked so pale and worn out."

Hermione sighed, her head thunking back against the wall behind her. "I don't know how Draco's gonna take this…"

"Not well." Ginny admitted. "Some of those Seers never get to come out of their drugged states. Narcissa will probably fight for so many months on and off so she can see them both. If there's enough evidence to prove they really were victims, and her visions are accurate, then I imagine she'd get three months on, one month off."

"How do you know about this? I've never read about it."

"Oh this would never be written down." Ginny spoke softly. "Dad took us to work once. It was a Muggle thing he found fascinating. Take your child to work day. I snuck straight down into the Department of Mysteries and found them by accident. Spent hours there. Heard them all talking about a new one coming in." Ginny shivered, rubbing her arm gently. "...it was really weird in there. I didn't like it. Got out when the Unspeakables finished gathering the visions from all of them. Think they had five people back then..." She grinned. "Dad freaked when he couldn't find me. Told the twins to go looking. Fred and George got hold of a couple broomsticks so they could find me faster. Dad never took us to the Ministry again."

Ginny shook her head, turning her body to Hermione and taking her hand, pressing her thumb to the ring. "Look, let's talk about that later, right now, I want to know what the hell is going on. I heard Mum talking with Tonks about your magical cores. Was she serious?"

Hermione felt a blush creeping up her neck. Ginny grinned, "Holy shit, Hermione, you were only gone a month- how did that happen? No, actually, just tell me everything. Start at the beginning."

She wanted to gloss over many details. Ginny wasn't having it. Anytime she tried, her blush darkened and Ginny absolutely refused to let it go. Her friend gave her a devilish look when she told her about Draco healing her in the bath, and nearly went downstairs to curse him for the amount of times he had tortured her. Bellatrix's practice woman theory had her jaw dropped, and their make out sessions had her friend biting her thumb. Ginny roared with laughter when she told her about Snape walking in on them. Hermione continued to tell her about the strange way they healed each other, the way it had been for Draco's family, Dobby, prisoner exchange, what Draco had done with the wand, the pregnancy scare, the discovery of their magical core bond, and his admission. She wasn't sure if she kept everything in order. Ginny went quiet at that, watching Hermione very carefully. She couldn't look her friend in the face.

Hermione sat there, twirling the ring around her finger, explaining what Bellatrix had done and how Lucius had married them to save her, and what the marriage magic had felt like when they tried to take him away.

Ginny scooched closer to Hermione and put an arm around her friend when she finally went silent. "...sounds like a really hard month, 'Mione… I'm glad he kept you as safe as he could."

Hermione nodded, resting her head on Ginny's. Her friend reached out to touch the ring. "So… are you gonna stay married to him? Or ask him for a divorce?"

Hermione stiffened. She hadn't even thought about that. "You can divorce in wizarding marriages..." She muttered out loud, trying to recall what she'd read about that.

"Of course," Ginny sat up to look at her. "It takes about a year of separation, though. Magical cores need distance to disconnect. Can't divorce if you stay entwined."

Hermione recalled what Narcissa said about their pattern being complex, and began to argue that she didn't think it was possible. Ginny stopped her with a hand on her knee. "Hey… it's okay if you want to stay with him."

Her heart pounded in her chest. "Ginny, I don't want to be married…But…" Hermione couldn't envision staying away from him for a year. "I don't know what I want."

"Well then, I guess you're gonna have to kiss his face a few more times until you decide," Ginny shot with a grin. Hermine flushed. Her friend laughed, hugging her. "You're gonna have to talk to Ron at some point. I think he's taking this hard."

Hermione nodded. She should've felt guilty about that but she really didn't. It was almost alarming, how quickly she'd fallen for Draco. Maybe divorcing him would be logical, picking up where she and Ron had almost left off… no. There was her answer. She closed her eyes, relaxing into Ginny's embrace. "I want to be with Draco… despite everything." She laughed nervously, "Does that sound crazy, Ginny? All this time… I thought Ron and I… but now…" Hermione felt Ginny pull away to see her face. She bit her lip, shaking her head in disbelief at the words coming out of her own mouth. "It seems a little wicked to be okay with this. Maybe Draco's rubbing off on me. I think I should feel bad… but…"

Ginny's smile relaxed her nerves. "You don't have to feel guilty for going after what you want, Hermione. Ron will deal with it. It's just, if you want to at least stay friends… you know those boys had a lot of fights at Hogwarts. You're gonna have to talk to him about it. I wouldn't go so far to tell _him_ about all the fun things you got into with the ferret…" Hermione flushed at Ginny's teasing. "But, he'd been dreaming up some kind of romantic reunion where you'd throw yourself in his arms and kiss him…" Ginny dramatically threw her arms out and collapsed into Hermione's lap with a grin. "...but he wasn't the one you threw yourself at when you got back."

Hermione stared at her friend. "Ginny, how in the world do you know that?!"

Her friend laughed, twisting her body to get comfortable. "Ron's an idiot. He's kept his journal in the same place ever since he started writing in one. Git thinks he found the only safe hiding spot in the house. I gave the twins half my Halloween candy for five years to guarantee they wouldn't mess with it. Let Ron think he'd won."

Hermione rolled her eyes. She wasn't sure if she should tell Ron that his private thoughts had been anything but for years. She sighed. "Okay, Ginny… you're right about that. He and I should have a sit down. Thanks for the heads up."

When she looked back down at Ginny, the girl was watching Hermione seriously. "You just better understand, it doesn't matter what family you're married into, you're my only sister, Hermione. If Draco royally fucks up, I'm going after him- with my brothers- _all_ of them. I'll call in all the favors they owe me."

"Didn't you just do that?"

Ginny grinned, "Do you have any idea how much they all owe me? Those boys all thought a little sister would be easier than another brother. I've got so much on all of them, Hermione, they're never gonna stop owing me."

"Should I be worried about that coming back to haunt me?" Hermione mused aloud.

Ginny looked thoughtful. "You? Nah… your husband… probably."

Husband. Hermione's heart lurched strangely in her chest. "Don't call him that." She whispered in a strained voice. "Too much."

"C'mon, I think you just hit your limit. Let's see if Mum has any tea that isn't drugged."

They walked downstairs. It had been about an hour and a half since Narcissa left. Molly made them a fresh pot of tea. Hermione stood, arms crossed, watching Draco sleep. Something looked off. She walked forward to see him. Cold sweat? His forehead creased? Hermione knelt at his side. She brushed his hair away, pulling the blanket down. He wasn't supposed to be dreaming. Why was he? Hermione wanted that to stop. She wanted him to rest. Suddenly, she was tapping into their bond and pushing the dream away, pulling the potion of dreamless sleep across his mind like a thin curtain. His face relaxed. She pulled her hand away sharply, a little surprised. How had that happened?

Without another touch, she stood and returned to the kitchen. "I don't think that dreamless sleep is working properly."

"Ah well, that's my fault then." Molly poured them all tea. "Narcissa said he'd built up a strong tolerance to it. I couldn't give him the dose she suggested. It just sounded like too much. I suppose I should've listened to her." The witch pushed a cup to Hermione. She stirred a spoonful of honey into the liquid.

"...he's going to lose it when she says goodbye." Hermione said quietly. The reality of that moment approaching made her think of her own parents.

"Rightly so." Molly said quietly. "We can't avoid that, girls. Just be ready to stun him if he goes too far." Ginny nodded. Hermione dropped her teacup. It shattered. Molly quickly repaired it and all the tea flew back to her cup.

"I don't think I can do that." Hermione admitted softly. Raising a wand to attack him felt cruel. She hadn't thought of that possibility. "Molly, can you let me try to calm him down first? Stunning him in such a high emotional state would be asking for a pretty vivid Dream wouldn't it?" She was guessing here. She'd dropped Divination and hadn't bothered to bulk up her knowledge in that area.

"...I can't promise you anything, Hermione." Molly Weasley sipped at her cup. "If he'll take it outside with you, and you can handle it, then I'll let you try. Just don't expect much. He might even need to be left alone. In that case, Bill's on guard duty."

"Mum, we never did work out where everyone is sleeping." Ginny shifted subjects. "He can't stay on the couch the whole time."

"Percy is giving up his room. He's going to go stay with a friend in London, be closer to the Ministry. He's being useful to Kingsley and being closer will make things easier for all of them. He stripped his room already so we can get Draco settled in there once Narcissa brings everything back."

That confused Hermione. "Brings everything back?"

"Dreamers never sleep well unless they're in a bedroom set up with a specific set of crystals, runes, smoke, candles, curtains, even the bedding can make a difference." Molly explained. Hermione drank her tea as she listened. "Narcissa said she and Draco couldn't risk pulling anything from that room once the Manor had been taken. They've been using Dreamless sleep potions, or a diluted wakening draft, and many other things to try to keep him from sleeping too long or too deeply." Molly shook her head. "It's honestly a bit of a miracle that he hasn't had a nervous breakdown. Dreamers need sleep, probably more than others, since it gets interrupted so much. The stress that family was under for the past few years… We'll help Narcissa get all that set up before we put an owl out for Kingsley."

"How's Dad feel about all this?" Ginny asked suddenly.

"Can you imagine what your father wouldn't have done to keep us safe, Ginny?" Molly looked down at her cup, fingers tightening around it. "It doesn't matter that it's Lucius' family. There are times to lay down your differences."

They fell silent. The sound of footsteps surprised them all. Narcissa was back. Charlie and Arthur magiced the trunks up to Percy's room. They all worked together to transform it into a completely different chamber. Everything was enchanted to block dreams. Special, sheer blue strips of fabric covered the center of the ceiling to the walls. It took time to carefully drape it so there was plenty of overlap, and no gaps. The bed was draped in bright white silk and placed dead center, a silver mandala floating in the air above it, glittering with magic. Specific candles floated around the room at the cardinal direction points, a red one at the North. Crystals lined the edge of the floors. An incense burner hovered in the middle of the room, just beyond the pillow where a head would rest. Four small water fountains poured continuously in all the corners. Narcissa put extra candles, and incense, in the large wooden box that sat at one end of the bed. The other remained empty, and was placed at the head of the bed.

"Thank you all… Don't be startled if he sleeps a long time the first few nights here, Molly." Narcissa looked around the room critically, adjusting a few strips of fabric and a couple crystals. "He's worn very thin at the moment."

"Are you sure you have to do this?" Arthur asked quietly.

"I wish there was another way." Narcissa replied, stepping outside and closing the door. "...but I'm certain, Arthur. This is the way it has to be." She smoothed her robe. "Now, if you'd be so kind as to send a letter to Kingsley, I must have a private word with my daughter in law."

It took Hermione a moment to realize Narcissa was talking about her. Her eyes widened. "You can use my room," Ginny offered. She led the way, Hermione following almost in a trance. Narcissa's words surprised her. The title made her uncomfortable. Once in Ginny's room, they both sat on the bed. Narcissa drew two letters from her robe. "Please, give this to my son after he has at least one decent sleep. Not before. He'll try to burn it if he hasn't rested. And give this to Molly and Arthur, after Draco has read my letter." She pushed both into Hermione's lap, then gently took Hermione's hand. Hermione could see the tan line from where Narcissa had once worn the ring on her finger.

Narcissa squeezed Hermione's hand gently. "My dear… I know this is overwhelming for you, and not the way you must have imagined becoming a wife… but please stay with him. Keep him safe for me."

Hermione felt her breath go out of her. Narcissa sighed gently, patting her hand before releasing the hold, folding her hands in her lap. "I do understand if you decide this is too much, and require a divorce. I beg you to consider any other option before deciding that. Your magical cores truly create a beautiful design. It would be a shame to destroy that."

"Can you show it to me?" Hermione asked quietly. Narcissa blinked in surprise. She stood, moving to Ginny's writing desk and pulling out the chair. Narcissa lifted a quill and dipped it in green ink, began to draw a snaking, spiraling vine. It had leaves almost like ivy. She put that quill down and lifted another to the color changing ink. The next series of lines were encased protectively within the ivy. Where the ivy did not touch, the lines were short and small. Where the ivy encased, the color changing ink burst into buds of various flowers. Several were slowly starting to bloom.

Hermione stared. How had Narcissa done that so quickly? "Can I… can I keep this? And show it to Draco?"

Narcissa handed it to her. Hermione held the drawing with the letters, holding all three close to her chest. A soft knock came on the door. Molly stuck her head in. "Kingsley is here, Narcissa…"

The witch stood, pressing a hand softly to Hermione's cheek before turning to the door. Hermione set the papers down on the nightstand next to her bed. She and Ginny would share this room. Her eyes softened as her fingers traced the image Narcissa had drawn. It _was_ breathtaking, and it did hint that there was much more yet to come.

Hermione closed the door gently as she followed the witches downstairs to the kitchen.

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	14. Chapter 14: Sleep

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Chapter 14: Sleep

Hermione stood in the doorway, listening as Narcissa made her proposal. Kingsley was silent for a long time after she finished. He pressed his hands down on the table, weighing her words. Then, he slowly nodded. He held out a hand to the witch. She shook. Kingsley drew out parchment and a quill and they began to haggle terms. Hermione glanced in the living room. Draco was waking up. Maybe she could gently explain what was happening before he really woke up. How bad was this going to be?

The man sat up, bringing a hand to his head. Hermione walked towards him. Draco looked over his shoulder at her, immediately tensed and stood unsteadily. "Who drugged me? Why? How long have I been out?"

So much for easing him into this. Draco woke as if he'd already had several cups of coffee. Hermione caught him as he nearly fell over the low coffee table. "Slow down-"

"Mother? Narcissa!" Draco's voice was sharp. He pushed her away, every line in his face tense as he stumbled into the doorway. Hermione kept a hand on his arm to steady him. "What's going on?" Draco saw Kingsley. The Minister was silently writing up a document with the terms he and Narcissa discussed. He had been warned that they may meet some resistance. Draco went pale at the sight. He shook his head, staring at his mother now. "No."

Narcissa stood slowly, holding a hand up to her son. "Darling-"

"Don't you darling me," Draco growled darkly, grasping the doorway painfully with a white knuckled hand, "You can't be serious. Why? _Why_ would you do this?"

Hermione needed him to calm down. She could see Draco about to lose his temper. This time, she put a hand to the back of his neck and focused on their bond. She forcefully summoned a calm to surround him. She wasn't sure how she did it. Draco let go of the doorway, turning to her quickly, knocking her hand away. He narrowed his eyes, hissing at her. "Stop it. Don't tap into that without asking."

"You _made_ it without asking." Hermione hissed just as softly, so only he could hear. "Deal with it!"

Draco sighed wearily, pressing two fingers to the bridge of his nose as he turned back to the kitchen. "…can I have a few minutes with my mother, alone?" He opened his eyes, meeting Kingsley's gaze. "Please?" The Weasley's left the kitchen. Kingsley followed them to the living room. Narcissa mouthed something to Hermione. _Stay. _So, Hermione didn't move. Draco glared at her. She crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway. He rolled his eyes as he moved to sit where the Minister had been, lifting the parchment to read.

Draco slowly dropped the paper when he finished, folding his hands in front of his face and pressing his lips against them. "So… we finally get out of that hell hole, together… and it doesn't matter? We're still going to be ripped apart?"

Narcissa was silent. She didn't move. Draco closed his eyes, shaking his head, at a loss. His voice was soft. "What am I supposed to do, losing you both at the same time?"

"Your father would have been sentenced to death, Draco. This is the only way to save him." Narcissa reached her hand across the table to him.

"And how am I supposed to take care of you, if you become the Ministry's eyes?" Draco spat back angrily, reaching his hands to hers. They grasped firmly. "Mother… this could cause permanent damage, you could get lost in any of those deep sleeps! What do I do if that happens?"

"Find me in a Dream, and force me back." Narcissa said gently. "Draco… this is the only way I can keep _both_ of you. Don't ask me to let go of Lucius…" she tightened her hand on his. "I'm not ready for that."

Draco fell silent, he held out his other hand to his mother. She took it gently. He squeezed gently. "Will I be able to find you, in Dreams, while you're stuck in there?"

Narcissa smiled, an affectionate, motherly smile. "Child, you found me when you barely existed. I have no doubt you'll find me as often as you need."

Draco withdrew his hands from hers, folding his arms in front of him and resting his head down on the table. Narcissa stood quickly, walking sound the table to meet him, running a hand up and down his back. He shook his head no. "I can't…" Draco's voice was barely audible. "I'm so damn tired, Mother. I can't process this."

"You need sleep," Narcissa replied gently. "Come, Draco. Get up."

When Draco sat up, Hermione saw the strain in his face more clearly than she ever had. He closed his eyes, turning to embrace Narcissa tightly, his head resting against her shoulder. Even his posture looked exhausted. Narcissa closed her eyes and held him tightly. She said nothing, merely stroked his hair and kissed the side of his head before he sat up. Before standing, Narcissa raised her hand to ask Hermione to come closer. She walked over.

Draco looked up at Hermione as she approached. He took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles. "Thanks for the calming push." he stood, lacing hands with hers. Their rings pressed against each other. That was still a strange sensation. "...I might've lost it without that."

Narcissa took both their hands in hers. "By the magic of the blood of our ancestors that dwells within these veins, I give you my blessing on this Union."

Hermione felt another shift in their bond. She didn't understand. Draco quickly let go of her hand. "Mother!"

"It's done, Draco." Narcissa stood, pushing in her chair.

Words didn't come at first. He tried to speak but nothing came out. Draco cleared his throat and looked almost fearful as he glanced at Hermione. "...what if-"

"It's _done_," she folded her hands in front of her body, steadily holding his gaze. Narcissa gave a graceful shrug. "You will figure it out, together."

"What just happened?" Hermione asked quietly. Why did Draco look so afraid? He opened his mouth, but then his eyes seemed to unfocus. He stumbled backwards into the wall behind him and pinched the bridge of his nose again, shaking his head. When he tried to stand correctly, he swayed slightly on the spot. Both Narcissa and Hermione caught an arm to balance him.

"Later," Narcissa insisted. "Come on Draco, let's get you to sleep."

The three managed to make their way up the staircase to Percy's old room. When Draco saw how the room was set up, he stiffened, then he bowed his head, clenching his fists. "You're… you're really going…" he turned to look at Narcissa, an expression of grief on his face. "There's no way to stop you?"

She shook her head no, kissing his cheek softly. Draco returned the affectionate gesture. "Lay down, Draco. You'll feel better about all this after you get some rest."

"You won't be here when I wake again, will you?" He asked quietly, meeting his mother's eyes.

"No." Narcissa smoothed his hair. There was that half strained smile again on both faces.

The two embraced again for a long time. Hermione felt a terrible reminiscence of saying goodbye to her own parents. She had to look away. The sight renewed her own grief.

"Hermione," Narcissa said gently as she released her son. "He will need a little help from you when he sleeps here. You'll have to light the incense and candles in a specific order. Draco, go lay down."

For a long moment, Hermione wasn't sure if he was going to listen. He took Narcissa in his arms one more time before obeying. After, he refused to make eye contact with either of them. Narcissa taught Hermione the sequence. She memorized it, lit everything, and Draco slept within seconds. Two tears slid down his face as his eyes closed. Narcissa stepped into the room, wiping them away, kissing his forehead gently. She stood in the doorway for a long moment before slowly closing the door.

Narcissa turned around slowly, pressing her back to the door. Hermione moved to embrace her, but Narcissa raised a hand, shaking her head no. Tears slid silently down her cheeks. Narcissa closed her eyes, taking several deep breaths. She pulled a handkerchief from the sleeve of her robe and dabbed the tears away.

"It is good… to know he can _finally _sleep peacefully." Narcissa gave the door one last heartbreaking glance before descending the staircase.

Hermione followed, lingering for a moment to stare at the door where Draco slept. How long had it been since he'd really slept? How long had he been making do with insomnia, or wildly inadequate sleep? How had he managed to stay in the dorms at Hogwarts? Questions began to rise but there was no time to ask Narcissa. Kinglsey was waiting for her.

Arthur gave Narcissa's wand to the Minister. The document was finished and signed. Then, a duplicate was made so Draco would know all the terms. Within the hour, she was gone.

Hermione noticed Ron and Harry had only returned back inside the house once the entire time. They had gotten up to speed on what was going on, and left without a word. She went looking for them. They had set up a chess board outside on the picnic table, but the game barely looked touched. Ron saw her and instantly moved a piece. Harry's pawn took it.

Well that answered that. Ron was avoiding her. He would never make such a stupid move in chess. Ginny was right. Maybe she should have talked to him a while ago. She was glad Harry was there, too. Hermione sat down next to Harry, crossing her arms in the picnic table.

"Can we talk?" She asked quietly, tightening her hands around her body. What if they were going to block her out again like they did at school? What if by gaining Draco, she'd really lost her best friends?

"Absolutely," Harry flicked his wand at the board and it packed itself.

Ron looked uncomfortable but he mimicked her posture. He only did that when he was actually trying to have a conversation and listen. That was a good sign. He spoke before she could get anything out. "Was it really that bad for his family?"

Hermione nodded and quietly explained Narcissa being required to entertain guests for Voldemort, Lucius disappearing for near suicide missions to go after deserters, the guarded visitation system for his parents, how they couldn't talk, the secret notes they left him, how Draco burned them, and the touch language Narcissa and Draco had developed. Ron exhaled forcefully, pressing his face in both hands and shaking his head no. "That's awful. I can't imagine if my family… my Mum… I don't like feeling bad for that jerk."

He lowered his hands slowly, his eyes falling to the ring on her hand. Hermione could see the hurt, the disappointment in his eyes. Ron wrapped his arms around his elbows again, looking away. "...are you gonna divorce him?"

She'd decided that. The moment Narcissa had drawn the bonding of their magical cores. That was something she couldn't destroy, not now that she'd seen it. "...no."

"Why not?" Ron growled. The first sign of his temper.

"It's complicated, Ronald," Hermione said quietly. "I'm not ready to be married to him, but that's the only thing that saved me. Our magical cores bound before that on their own, without any ceremony. There's a lot I don't understand right now. Narcissa gave us her blessing before-"

"She _did __**not**_!" Ron slammed both hands down on the picnic table, eyes whipping back to hers, looking stunned. Okay, marriage in the wizarding world was something Hermione needed to read up on. How did Ron understand everything going on when she didn't?

"Cool it Ron, Muggles give their blessings all the time," Harry interjected. "It's a formality, that's all."

"Not for wizards." Ron growled, running a hand through his hair. "Hermione… your last name isn't Granger anymore."

"What are you talking about?" She and Harry both laughed. "Yes it is. Hermine Jean Mal-" Harry stopped laughing. Hermione put both hands over her lips before she could finish. Her eyes shot wide open. She felt stunned. She tried again, speaking faster, more forcefully. "Hermione Jean Malfoy. Malfoy. Damn it. Malfoy! No! It's Granger!" She looked at Ron, feeling more than a little frightened at this magic. "Ron, what's happened? Why can't I say my name?"

"You are," Ron said quietly. "I told you. Lucius married you. Narcissa gave her blessing. That means they welcomed you. Old families always pass down their names, it's not possible to tap into the family magic without it."

Hermione stared at him. "Family magic?"

Ron sighed softly. "There's a ton of books in the house about marriage and stuff, 'Mione. Mum made us all listen to her read them when we were kids. That'll be better than my botched up version. I can't remember everything."

For a while, they say there in silence. Hermione understood the fearful look on Draco's face now. She hadn't asked for any of this. Everything with him and his family had been forced on her. He was afraid she was going to ask him for a divorce when they fought. Changing her name without consent was just as bad as marrying her without asking. They should divorce. It was logical. He thought she would want that when they finally fought this out.

"Does this mean we have to get along with him?" Ron grumbled, leaning his elbows on the table and looking at Harry.

"Think so," Harry replied quietly.

Ron looked back to Hermione, gaze flickering to her ring again. "...Harry, can you give us a minute, mate?"

Hermione felt alarmed at the request. Harry stood and he walked away. She heard the door of the Burrow open and close. For several long minutes, they sat there in an uncomfortable silence. Ron crossed his arms over his chest, he didn't look at her as her spoke. "...this really sucks, Hermione."

She didn't say anything. Just listened.

"I wanted… when all this was over…" he pulled the deluminator from his pocket and set it on the table. "...it found you, Hermione." Ron smiled sadly at it. "But… it never found you again." His eyes met hers. "...I think you loved me, then." His hands reached for the magical object and he spin it between his fingers, breaking eye contact.

He looked hurt. A little lost. Hermione spoke honestly. "I did, Ronald. I really did. And I thought… I thought we would…" she couldn't say it. Fall in love? Be together? Get married? Have a bunch of kids? It all felt so far away now. She didn't want that from him anymore.

"I know..." Ron didn't make her say it. They fell silent again. He pocketed the deluminator. Eventually, his eyes on her ring, he sighed, rubbing his hand on the back of his head. "Look… I don't get it, any of it, but if you're really gonna stay with him, I'll try 'Mione." He looked up at the window of Percy's bedroom. "It's gonna be fucking hard to get along with him."

She smiled softly at that. Trying was more than she could ask. "Thank you, Ron…"

"Don't thank me yet, I can't promise you I'm not gonna try to break his face if he gets on my nerves." Ron grumbled. He turned to look back at her. "Just… you're still one of my best friends, Hermione. Don't disappear again, okay?"

She nodded. They stood together and walked back inside. Molly was making dinner. It smelled delicious. Ginny gave them a sideways glance as they walked back inside. Hermione and Ron both walked over to Harry, and the three of them started working together to help get things prepared for dinner. Ginny smiled gently and turned away from them.

Molly refused to let her wake Draco. She insisted that he'd wake when he was good and ready, and for the first time ever, Molly said sleep was more important than food in this case. Her children's jaws dropped at that statement. Several with food in their mouths. Even her husband seemed caught off guard. She chidded at them to eat properly before sitting down next to Arthur.

When she and Ginny were finally in their small bedroom, Ginny sat on Hermione's bed and Hermione told her how things had gone with Ron. Her friend nodded and said that she'd be going through his journal later to make sure he was okay. Hermione felt another twinge of pity for Ron. He really needed to hide that journal somewhere else.

Ginny paused as she started to move back to her bed, lifting the paper Narcissa had drawn. "Hermione, what's this?"

"Narcissa drew it for me. It's our magical cores."

Ginny's eyes widened and she whipped her head back to it. "No way! But it's already got colors? And flowers?! And everything's already weaving together? This is crazy!" Ginny shook her head in disbelief. "Hermione it's not supposed to be like that so fast. This is even more complicated than Mum and Dad's!"

Hermione went on to explain how Narcissa had given her their blessing. Ginny didn't look surprised. She waved the drawing in the air before placing it back down. "You'd have to be crazy to try to mess with something this rare. Doesn't surprise me she did it. Especially if she's gonna be gone for so long. You wouldn't be able to fully divorce without her blessing, Hermione. The magic was incomplete. Now it's done, and you can. She basically told you you're welcome to stay, or to go. That blessing gave you the power to do whatever you want."

Narcissa must have known that. She'd asked Hermione to stay, but given her the way out. Draco's frightened look was making more and more sense. He really must think she'd ask to leave him.

Draco still wasn't awake by morning. Hermione spent the day at Hogwarts with many others, working to restore the damage to the school. There were many hard days of work ahead of them, for certain. By the time they got home that evening she was ready for dinner and bed, but the tiredness fled when she saw Draco awake, sitting at the kitchen table with Molly and a cup of tea. He looked up quickly at her entrance. A flicker of that fear caught his eye before he looked away, putting down the tea to hold a folder tightly in his hands.

Draco stood, ignoring everyone else as he approached her. He spoke quietly once he was in front of her. "Can we talk? Alone?"

They walked up to Ginny and Hermione's room. The rest of the house was quickly filling with noise and activity. Just to be safe, Hermione locked the door and set up a silencing charm. She loved Ginny dearly, but she did not trust her not to eavesdrop.

Draco sat in the chair at the writing desk. She sat on the edge of her bed. For a while, a strained silence hovered between them. He stared at the floor for a long moment before raising his eyes to meet hers and handing the folder to her. She took it, flipping it open. Divorce papers.

Her breath caught. She looked back at him sharply. "Draco?"

"I had them drawn up as soon as I woke." He said quietly, eyes falling down to the floor. "...I know you never wanted any of this, Granger…" a tense smile flitted across his face and was gone. "...I know, that's not your last name anymore. Can't break that habit." He cleared his throat. "This all has to be witnessed when it's being signed. We'll have to go to the Ministry. I'll head back to the Manor, or wherever the Ministry tells me to go, and you won't be stuck with all this once the year ends."

This wasn't a fight. He was letting her go. There was no anger or guilt to make her stay. Hermione put the folder aside. "We're not signing that." She slid down the bed, patting it for him to come sit next to her.

Draco stared at her. "...Hermione-"

She gave him a flare and his mouth shut. "Shut up. Move, now." He slowly obeyed while she reached over to the nightstand and pulled the letters and the art in her lap. Her fingers brushed his as she pushed the drawing into his hand. Draco looked down, his expression confused. He shook the paper, resting it on his thigh. "What am I looking at right now?"

"Narcissa drew it for me." Hermione smoothed the paper. "This is the way our magical cores looked when she and Molly revealed it."

Draco's eyes widened. He looked back at the drawing quickly, shocked. His fingertips began gently tracing the image. Draco shook his head no. His voice was a stunned whisper. "Seriously? _This?!"_

Hermione took his ringed hand in hers and pressed her fingers against his. "I… I don't want to break this, Draco." Her heart pounded a little too hard. She felt somewhat breathless. "Can't we figure out something else?"

"...there's no way backwards from this, without a divorce," Draco said softly, turning his hand so their palms pressed to each other. "I know you never wanted me, Granger... This all happened because you were forced into it. Most of it was my fault. Even this shows it." He lifted the drawing.

"These vines are protective-" Hermione argued.

"Yes, but they're also possessive." Draco cautioned, placing the paper down between them. He pulled his hand away. "I'm the one that wanted to keep you, witch. This just proves that I was right."

They fell silent for a long time. Hermione took the drawing and put it back on the nightstand. She slid her foot next to his and pressed them together. Hermione felt very exposed with her next sentence. "...what if I want to keep you now?"

"Fuck." Draco closed his eyes, leaning forward to press his face into his hands. "Don't say that."

"Come on, Draco," Hermione squeezed his arm. "Can't we talk about this, take it slow?"

"How do we go slow? We're already _married_." Draco turned to look at her through his fingers. "Just sign the papers, Hermione, and you're free. Why are you-"

Hermione took his face in her hands and kissed him softly. He kissed her back. She pulled away slowly. "I don't want to be married, you're right, but that's done." She pressed her forehead against his gently. "...I don't want to stop kissing you... I don't want to spend a year apart. Stop focusing on that and help me think. Is there any other option? Can we date while we're married? Can we-"

Draco put his thumb on her lips, his face finally relaxing with a teasing look as he drew back to see her face. "Did you just ask me out, Granger?"

She blushed. Yes, she had. And she hadn't even stopped to think about it. "Maybe," she replied, pushing his hand away. "What would you say if I did?"

"...I'd tell you that I'd like that." Draco's eyes had relaxed. Less guarded. Calmer. "...but it isn't going to be that easy. We can't just ignore the fact we're connected like this." The tension began to frown across his features again. "That's not possible. Besides, what do I call you? Wife? Partner?"

"Just keep calling me Granger, and we'll figure it out." Hermione swallowed hard. "Unless… you want me to sign those divorce papers…"

Draco immediately took her face in his hand and kissed her. He pressed his forehead against hers, shaking his head no. "I just… I'm tired of forcing things on you. I didn't even consider letting you go until my mother gave us her blessing. I didn't even think about a divorce until then." He ran his hand into her hair. "That would be the smart thing to do. This is a really bad idea."

"Then that's your limit for today," Hermione said softly, smiling as she felt him chuckle. His mouth met hers gently, and they were back in the Great Hall, the kiss making her chest feel warm and full.

"If you're serious about this, Granger…" Draco spoke, sitting away to reach for the folder. "Burn it."

Hermione set the folder on fire, sweeping the ashes away with her wand. Draco sighed in relief at the sight of the flames. He squeezed her hand gently. Then, he noticed the letters in her lap. "Why's that got my name on it?"

"Narcissa left it for you." Hermione handed him the letter. Draco stared at it for a moment before slowly taking it in hand.

"No offense," Draco said softly, "...but I'd really like to read this alone."

Hermione nodded. He'd have to wait, though. "She said not to let you burn it." Hermione said with a smile. "So I made it immune to fire. But you should eat dinner first. Molly won't have you skipping meals if you're awake. Not unless you want her breathing down your neck."

Draco turned his gaze to her and smirked. An arrogant, sexy, slightly irritated smirk. She wanted to kiss that face. "Yes, dear," Draco mumbled, rolling his eyes.

Nope. She had to kiss that face. Hermione found herself suddenly straddling half his lap, pressing her lips and tongue against his, tapping into their bond by accident to tell him how incredibly grateful she felt that they weren't signing those papers.

Draco took her by both arms and pulled her away forcefully, setting her back down on the bed and taking a calming breath before speaking. "Hermione, we're alone in a bedroom, with a silencing charm and the door is locked…" his hands slid slowly down her arms, she felt him tap into their bond. The desire that washed over her made her breath catch. "Don't do that to me unless you _want_ me to take it somewhere."

As they made their way downstairs, sitting at the dinner table, Molly gave her a silent raised eyebrow. Hermione shrugged lightly, moving to sit between Ginny and Draco. Her eyes glanced at Draco's calm expression, the rings still on their hands. She gave Hermione a motherly smile, then an approving nod before the witch turned back to the stove, flicking her wand at things to start serving dinner.

Hermione silently placed her hand on Draco's knee under the table. His hand fell to hers and his thumb brushed gently against the ring on her finger. No, this wasn't going to be easy… but she knew in her gut, this bad idea was good.

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	15. Chapter 15: Repairing Damage

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Chapter 15: Repairing Damage

The next day, Hermione got ready early in the morning with everyone in the house. For the first time, she saw Draco dressed down in simple clothes. Jeans that were worn and had paint stains, a slightly torn T-shirt that had a Quidditch player's name on it that she didn't recognize.

Harry, Ron and Draco were sitting together in the living room, talking about Quidditch. They all looked relaxed as they ate and talked. She froze in the doorway, the sight surprising her. Harry caught her eye as Ron and Draco began to debate some stupid rule about Keeper's. It sounded like they agreed the rule was ridiculous. Her green eyed friend winked at her before turning back to the conversation. Hermione slowly walked backwards to the kitchen, smiling at Ginny as she turned. It was good to see them trying to get along. She poured herself a coffee and sat at the table by Ginny. Within the hour, they would be back at Hogwarts.

Minerva McGonagall stood near the entrance, assigning people to various locations. Her eyes focused on the fact that Hermione and Draco entered, side by side. Her piercing look instantly saw their rings. She raised an eyebrow at the sight but made no comment.

Several walls had been cursed with dark magic, and because of that, the stones wouldn't move with magic. It took manual labor to lift them into a magical container that would take them off to the forbidden forest. It seemed there was an endless supply of rubble to move. Ron, Harry, Charlie and Bill had been assigned to the Quidditch field to manage the damage there. Most of the other Wealsey's were scattered around the front of the school. Hermione was working with Ginny, and Fred when she felt it.

An awful shock radiated through her chest. Hermione dropped the stone she'd been lifting, stumbling to her knees. She heard Draco scream. Her eyes shot open in fear. Why was he screaming? She struggled to her feet, barely able to stay upright. She'd never felt anything like this. Almost a phantom pain radiated through her body. What was going on?

Fred caught her before she fell a second time. Ginny was already sprinting, wand in hand, toward the terrible sound. Fred balanced Hermione and they rushed after Ginny.

"That's enough!" Luna Lovegood cried. Hermione saw a group of people rushing around Draco, wands drawn now, protectively standing over him. George was kneeling, trying to help him. Draco was shaking uncontrollably as he sat up, coughing, a hand against his ribcage, blood on his lip.

"He tortured my sister!" A first year girl stood there, tears streaming down her face. Luna held the girls wand out of reach. "He deserves it. Give it back- give it back!"

Luna frowned deeply. "No. It isn't that simple. He doesn't deserve this. Your sister would say the same-"

"She can't!" The girl screeched. "She's too damaged now. She can't!" The girl collapsed to her knees, sobbing. "It's all his fault. He did it!"

Draco stood unsteadily and walked to the girl. She immediately threw herself at him, hitting him repeatedly until she collapsed against his chest, sobbing. He didn't try to restrain her once. Draco held the girl as they both slid to their knees. "It's all your fault. Give her back. I want her back!"

"I'm sorry." Draco said quietly.

"That doesn't fix anything!" She shouted, pushing him away, hard. The girl darted quick as a snake, trying to steal back her wand from Luna. Several people restrained the girl.

Minerva McGonagall's voice shot out and Luna was ordered to take the child home. Hermione saw Draco was coughing again. Her chest tightened just at that sound. It was a first year girl, how bad could that Crucio have been? Fred helped her make her way over to join them. Draco looked up at her in concern as she walked, half supported by Fred before he set her down next to him.

"Hermione and Draco Malfoy," McGonagall's tone was crisp. They both looked up. The witch was frowning at them, also appearing concerned. "You two need to leave here for today. I need to discuss this with Arthur Weasley. Is that understood?"

When they got back to the Burrow, Hermione healed him, then kept him close. He protested, insisting he wanted to be alone, but she needed to hold his hand. He fought her in irritation all the way up the stairs, until she forcefully dragged him to her bedroom, sat him down and told him the truth. "Draco… I felt it too. I felt you being attacked." His eyes widened. "I need a little time with you first. Okay? That was... really uncomfortable."

"And this is why I should've insisted you sign those papers." He growled angrily. His expression softened. "Damn it… you really felt that?" Hermione nodded as she pressed her hand to his chest and pushed him down, laying against his side like they had at Grimmauld Place. He didn't resist. The tightness in her chest started to release. "I can get it all drawn up again-"

"Just stop." She said softly. "I burned them. I meant it."

"This isn't the last time this is gonna happen," he said quietly. "...that girl had every right to attack me."

"She is way too young to understand," Hermione pressed her hand to his chest. His heart was hammering painfully. "You had a bunch of people defending you, Draco. None of them thought you deserved it."

"They're wrong. They should have let her keep going and-"

Hermione interrupted him as she sat up on an elbow so she could see his face. He was staring straight at the ceiling. "Don't say that, Draco. You didn't have a choice. Stop."

"I _had_ a choice," Draco said quietly, closing his eyes. "They weren't good options… but I had a choice."

"Barely options." Hermione frowned. "You would've been killed, or your family, if you didn't listen."

"So instead, I took others away." His voice was very quiet. "Instead, I broke countless other families just so I could keep my own. What kind of monster does that make me?"

Hermione wasn't prepared for him to open his eyes and meet hers just then. He looked tortured. There was remorse.

"Look, you can't change what you did," Hermione said gently, "Agonizing over everything won't help... Neither will letting people torture you." She curled up against his side, pressing her hand back against his heart. Still hammering. "I know you can't fix it. So think. What can you do to make it better? To show that you regret it? There has to be something."

Draco inhaled slowly and she felt his chest fall with the exhale. "You're always going to try to look for solutions, aren't you?" His hand came to hers, he took her fingers in his and drew her hand to his mouth, kissing her knuckles before holding her hand and letting them rest together on his chest. She nodded against his shoulder. Hermione felt grateful his heart was calming. The tightness in her chest relaxed a little with it.

They stayed like that for a long time. He broke the silence. "I'm never going to be able to forgive myself for what I've done." Draco admitted quietly. "...but I'd like to find a way to make it a little better... I have a couple of ideas. I'll need Kingsley to let me write my Father, though."

Hermione sat up again, letting go of his hand so she could slide up a little to kiss him gently on the lips. "Good. You'd better do that, then." She paused after speaking. Kissing him made the ache in her chest loosen even more. Her lips came back to his, and his hand cupped her face in his palm.

He bit his lip with his eyes closed as she pulled away. Hermione grinned at that look. "Not yet," he said quietly, eyes opened to catch hers, sitting up, he leaned into her and they were kissing again.

This was helping. She hadn't needed to keep him close, she'd needed to reconnect with him after that Crucio. That was an interesting fact. Hermione stopped kissing him and moved to straddle his lap fully. He pulled her into him, fingers digging into her sides pleasantly as his eyes widened in surprise. She didn't let him argue with her. Both hands on his shoulders pushed him back down, her lips kept him there. She traced her mouth across his cheek to his neck.

"Hermione," his voice was a throaty whisper, "Hang on-"

She bit him and let her tongue soothe the mark. His voice died and she felt him shiver, moving his head so she could reach more of his neck. She smiled slightly at that and enjoyed the taste of his skin. He'd been sweating while working at Hogwarts. That should have been gross but instead it made her want to keep biting him.

Draco pulled her face back to his and kissed her breathless, a hand slipping under her shirt along her back. He pushed her off of him and to her side, fingertips dancing along her waist. "We really need to talk before you knock the sense out of me." Draco muttered, resting his forehead against hers. "We're not on the same page here."

Hermione liked the feeling of his hand on her skin. His kiss had stolen her ability to think. She hadn't really been able to understand what he'd just said. Her fingertips ran down against his chest lightly as she leaned closer to kiss him again, her voice barely a whisper. "What?"

Draco stopped her gently by pressing his forehead to hers. "Remember when you were wearing the robe?" Why was he bringing that up? She nodded, closing her eyes. "The only thing that kept from taking more from you that night was your fear." Hermione felt a pleasant heat throughout her body. Was that him tapping into their bond? Or was it all hers? Desire. Unrestrained, unfurling in her stomach. Her breath caught as his fingers traced lightly along her ribs. His mouth pressed against hers lightly before he spoke again, "...you're not afraid this time."

His palm flattened against her bare side, pulling her against him. She felt something pressing back against her body that she'd never felt before. Hermione felt herself flush, her brain catching up. They weren't on the same page. It was good he had said something. He kept his palm flat on her skin as it traveled up her waist and ribcage, back down her body, and back up again- burning her insides with every caress.

"I'm not a virgin, Granger. I want a _lot_ more than you…" he kissed her forehead lightly. "...if you keep kissing me like that, in your bed… I'm going to start trying to take it."

She nodded silently, battling her senses to try to keep a clear head. "I can't think straight when you kiss me."

"I'll start taking advantage of that," he warned softly, pushing her to her back gently, one of his arms crossing over her body as he leaned over her. His lips started playing along her throat and ear. She shivered. That felt really good. "Don't keep tempting me." His lips pressed near her ear. She swallowed hard as that touch made her tap into their bond reflexively. That was new. Draco paused with his lips on her skin. "...maybe we are on the same page…" he muttered softly, sitting up to look at her face. "...Hermione?"

That was a surprising question to hear. That couldn't be what she _wanted… _could it? She had never wanted that! His eyes were searching hers curiously. Hermione felt her pulse burn in several strange places. It was impossible to lie through their bond. She did want him. He knew it now, too.

Draco's hand teasingly swept from her side, across her stomach, and back again. It tickled and it didn't. Part of her suddenly wanted to feel his hand much lower on her body. Why couldn't she withdraw from their bond? He was reading her desire, his eyes told her he _knew_ what she was thinking, and he had no hesitation. She held her breath as his fingertips paused at the button of her jeans. "Talk to me, witch, I don't want to guess wrong."

"I… I don't know." The words were out of her mouth quickly. It was too startling, how strongly her body was reacting to him right now. She couldn't think this through with his hand there.

He withdrew his hand calmly, taking her face softly in hand, he kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Then that's a no." Several emotions punched her in the gut. Relief, and disappointment were right at the surface. Draco paused again. "Talk about mixed signals… you really can't think straight when I get my hands on you…" he nipped playfully at her ear. She felt him rest against her side, fingers lightly stroking her hair.

This was confusing. She wanted more. He wasn't giving it to her, though. It looked like he was ignoring their bond now, or he had tuned it out. Her voice was quiet with her next question. "Can we not go that far?" She didn't even know if that were possible. He was right. She wasn't afraid this time. What was she saying?

"I don't trust myself right now," he responded immediately, continuing to stroke her hair gently. "If I start to get my hands on you… and keep feeling all your _honest_ reactions…" he pressed his lips to her temple. "It'd be really hard to listen to you say no, when you're telling me _exactly_ you want with our bond."

Hermione felt the communication through their connection fade as he stood. He pulled the chair from Ginny's writing desk, parchment and quill, and began to scratch out a letter. She rolled to her side to watch him, elbow propping her up.

Until now, he'd pushed boundaries, ran them over, tore them to shreds. Hermione felt a little guilty for wanting him to keep doing that. If he did, then she didn't have to say what she wanted. Draco meant it, though. He wasn't going to force her into anything more without explicit consent. She had to make up her mind.

Draco was watching her now. She jumped slightly when she realized he'd been watching her for a few moments. "Aren't you the one that said we should date while we're married?" Draco mused softly aloud. He turned his body in the chair, elbow resting on the desk. "...what are you doing tomorrow, Granger?"

"Probably back to Hogwarts, and here," she was surprised by the question.

"Okay… when you're free, I want to take you somewhere." A playful smirk danced on his lips.

Hermione frowned softly. "Aren't you supposed to stay here?"

"You haven't given that other letter to Molly and Arthur yet, have you?" Draco asked with a glance at her nightstand. "You'll have to apparate us there, but I can go. She worked it out with Kingsley."

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked curiously. She needed to give that letter to Arthur and Molly when they got back.

"You'll see." Draco turned back to his letter.

The door burst open. Ginny looked a little disappointed to see them. She threw herself down on her bed in a huff. "Come on- you get a chance to be alone and you throw it away like that?"

"Why are you bursting in here if you expect to see something, Ginny?" Hermione asked, blushing slightly as she sat up.

"It'd be funny as hell." Her friend replied with a shrug. "Dad's home. Needs to talk to you both."

Hermione grabbed Narcissa's letter as they all made their way downstairs. Arthur looked tired. He was pouring a cup of coffee as he sat at the table and waved at them to take a seat with a yawn. "Minerva doesn't think it's a good idea for you two to be working on the castle grounds. After that attack today, I am in agreement with her." He took a sip of coffee. "Can't have children casting unforgivables."

Arthur folded his hands down on the table as he spoke to Draco. "Since you two are married now, and your mother is serving the Ministry, I asked Kingsley if I can give you back your wand. There's a lot more you can help with if you've got it. He agreed under one condition. You have to go to trial this week. That means testimony and evidence must be gathered immediately. Hermione, I have a friend to represent him. You're going to have to help gather evidence tomorrow. We've already got something convincing from Harry. He had some very strong evidence from Dumbledore and Severus."

Draco stiffened at the names. Arthur didn't notice. He took another sip of coffee as he sat back. "Molly has told me that you're going to sleep properly tomorrow while all this goes on, Draco. She said she won't have you going to trial without a few more days of proper rest. You'll go straight after dinner, or shell have an earful to give you."

He finished his coffee. "I'll be here, getting work done. There is so much blasted paperwork now. Hermione, when my friend gets here in the morning, you'll go to Hogwarts together to gather as many memories and testimonies as you can. Both of you understand?"

So much for the date day Draco had suggested. That would have to wait. She nodded. There was a lot to do in a week.

"I'm going to be found guilty." Draco said quietly. "The testimony won't matter. I still did it."

"Yes, but under duress." Arthure replied calmly. "You won't be found innocent, we both know that, but if there is enough evidence, you could end up with a heavy fine, and remain under house arrest with a required amount of community service hours. In addition, your mother has already provided multiple accurate visions to the Ministry. Her service was intended for Lucius' terms, but I know Kingsley. He'll weigh that with your trial as well."

Arthur stretched, flicking his wand to summon a huge stack of papers. "You two go on, now. I've gotta get this done before the end of the day."

Hermiome held up the letter. "Narcissa said to give this to you and Molly." She pushed it across the table to him.

"You should read it together." Draco chimed in.

Arthur floated it to a board near Molly's clock and it stuck there. Hermione and Draco walked outside to the garden. Bill waved at them from the picnic table. It looked like he was working on a stack of paperwork, too. Must've been helping Arthur try to get it done. Draco surprised her when he took her hand in his as they walked. "...looks like I can't steal you for a little while."

She nodded silently. Draco's thumb stroked her hand as they moved. "...are you alright?"

"Didn't expect a trial to come up this quickly," he admitted. "The Ministry doesn't usually move so fast. They have plenty of other things to keep them busy." Hermione glanced over at him. Tension had a muscle in his jaw twitching slightly. "...I don't know how this could go, Granger. That Weasley sounds too optimistic to me. Getting a sentence without time in Azkaban doesn't make any sense."

Silently, she agreed. Her hand tightened on his. He didn't need to know she was thinking that, too. "Well, then, I'll need to get a lot of memories tomorrow. You said you remembered every face from the Manor… do you know their names? That would help me get started."

Draco stopped walking for a minute. She paused, looking at his face. His expression was closed, guarded. Unreadable. His voice was cold. "I don't think it's right to ask them for anything. Not after what I did."

"It can't hurt to ask," Hermione said softly, stepping closer and putting her other hand on his arm. "They can say no, if they want to, no one is going to be forcing them to talk. It looks like Luna understands, at least. Maybe-"

Draco closed his eyes at the name. His jaw clenched and he pulled his arm away from hers, fingers sliding through hers. He stuck both hands in his pockets and quickly walked off to a bench under the shade of a tall tree. Hermione blinked several times in surprise before following him. "What? What happened with Luna?"

He shook his head no and sat heavily on the bench, opening his eyes to stare at the ground. "Hermione, I let you stay with me when we got back because you said you needed to be close." Draco didn't look at her as he kept speaking, his voice still cold, perhaps colder. "I told you I needed to be left alone."

That felt uncomfortable. Why was he being so cold now? Hermione crossed her arms over her chest. It wasn't an unreasonable ask. She just didn't want to leave him alone, especially not now, but she could almost feel the fight coming if she refused to back off. A soft sigh escaped her mouth as she pressed her lips together in a thin line. "Alright." she said softly. "...but I expect to have a list of names by tonight before you sleep." A bubble of fury lit in her chest. The force of it stunned her. Why was she so upset all of a sudden? She ignored it, and ignored the sharp, icy glare he gave her after she said it.

Without waiting for him to argue, she turned on the spot and marched back into the house. Bill looked up briefly, and Arthur jumped slightly as she slammed the door and stomped up the stairs to her bedroom. Ginny yelped in surprise when Hermione slammed the bedroom door shut. Hermione didn't understand why she felt this angry. It wasn't unreasonable for him to want to be left alone. He was going to have a trial this week, she was going to gather memories which meant she'd see even more of what he had done, and he hadn't been mean about it. Why was she so angry? She threw herself down on her bed, punching her pillow up against the wall before throwing her back against it, crossing her arms and legs, and leaning back. She huffed irritably.

"What in the hell got into you?" Ginny asked, eyes wide. "Trouble in paradise? What's your boy-toy gone and done?"

"He's not my boy-toy," Hermione snapped, "And I don't know. I'm just mad."

Ginny frowned, putting her book face down in her bed. "You're just mad? That doesn't sound right. Hermione, are you sure it's you that's mad? Is your connection open?"

She paused, checking in… this anger didn't feel familiar. She understood what he needed, and it wasn't unreasonable. Her response hadn't been anger. Not until she'd told him she expected a list of names for her by this evening. The bubble of fury lit in her chest a second time and washed over her. Her eyes widened. Draco was tapping into their bond, unintentionally. That must've happened when either of them were being pushed over a limit.

Knowing that made it easier to push it away. He'd have to calm down on his own. Going back outside would probably make everything worse. "Ginny, where does your Mom keep books about marriage and magical core bonding? I need to understand more about this."

"I think she keeps most of those books in her bedroom. I can go ask Dad if we can grab a few."

Ginny respecting someone's privacy surprised her. She said as much. Ginny cackled. "Hermione, Mom doesn't go into any of our rooms, except to give us laundry, if we stay out of hers. Bill was an idiot when we were kids and went snooping for Christmas gifts. She spent the entire year confiscating things from his room that she didn't want him to have. We all learned real quick not to mess with her stuff."

Hermione laughed with Ginny at that. Molly Weasley truly was a brilliant witch. Ginny leapt from her bed, calling for her Dad as she ran down the stairs. Hermione pressed a hand to her chest, closing her eyes. For half a heartbeat, she tried to reach out a cool, calming touch to the boiling anger. A hot sensation flared across her chest immediately, nearly burning her hand. She opened her eyes quickly, pushing the anger away again, tearing her hand from her chest. Draco was really upset, and she wasn't sure she knew how to help him. Hopefully something in Molly's library would be useful.

Ginny's feet pounded back up the stairs. She gave Hermione a thumbs up, "C'mon. You're better at picking out books than I am. Let's go."

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	16. Chapter 16: Evidence

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Chapter 16: Evidence

Hermione and Ginny ended up taking twenty books from the shelves in Arthur and Molly's bedroom. Ginny carefully wrote the title of each one down on a pad of paper next to the bookshelf. "Just make sure that you bring them back," Ginny warned, "Or else, you'll start to find some of your things missing. They magically show up again when you return her stuff." Ginny rolled her eyes in annoyance. Hermione smiled slightly. Molly Weasley's children got their spunk from her for certain.

Ginny's desk was piled high with books. Hermione dashed upstairs to grab several more, taking care to write down every single title. It would take her a while to read through all of them, but maybe there would be references to other books in the pile. She wanted to be able to go straight to another book if there was anything she didn't understand. Some of these texts seemed ancient. Good thing Hermione knew how to care for old texts.

Draco's anger didn't seem to fade at all. It washed over her randomly as she sat in bed, curled up with the first, most basic book from what Ginny had been able to remember. That was incredibly distracting. Hermione was forced to close her eyes, wait for it to calm slightly, and push it away from her so that she could keep reading. It made for slow, disjointed progress. She was incredibly irritated with him by dinner time. Why couldn't he calm down? It wasn't like she'd threatened him! She just told him she wanted a list of names. He was over-reacting.

He was still guarded and cool towards her as they sat at the dinner table. Hermione ignored it. Let him be a grump. Once he was asleep, she'd finally be able to focus long enough to get through a book without disruption. Molly whisked their plates away and insisted he go up to sleep immediately when they were done eating. Hermione and Draco stood outside of his room for several long minutes. She stood there in front of the door, arms crossed, tapping her foot on the ground. She wasn't going to help him get to sleep unless he gave her a list, and the anger still bubbling in her chest told her he knew that. Begrudgingly, he pulled a letter from his pocket and handed it to her. Hermione took it calmly and stepped out of the way. He pushed open the door without a word, and laid down on the bed. She lit everything in order and his eyes closed. Hermione shut the door calmly, walking to her room while opening the letter. Her feet froze when she read the words he'd wrote.

_Hermione- Don't ever tell me you "expect" something from me. The answer is always fuck off. -Draco_

She crumpled the letter in hand, cursing angrily, sorely tempted to open the door and force him awake. But she wasn't quite sure what that would do to him with the magical artifacts in the room, and the sequence she'd set by lighting everything. Damn him! Ginny caught the paper when Hermione crumpled it and threw it down the staircase. Her friend opened it as Hermione stormed into their bedroom. She heard Ginny laughing.

"It's not funny, Ginny!" Hermione spat as she flopped down on her bed. "He knows the names of other people that could help- he's being an ass about it on purpose!"

"It's hysterical," Ginny said, still laughing as she walked in, tossing the note on the writing desk. "First note he ever gives you, and he tells you to go fuck yourself?" She sat cross-legged across from Hermione with a grin, "I think I might get along with him, after all."

"Ginny," Hermione frowned, pulling out a fresh roll of parchment and putting Luna's name at the top. "This is going to slow me down. Luna's the only lead I have."

"Hermione, how would you react if someone _expected_ you to do something? I'd be pissed!" Ginny raised an eyebrow, "I mean, did you honestly say that? Or did you ask him for the names?"

She paused. Hermione was used to people telling her that they expected something from her. Friends, family, teachers- it had just been a way to say that they needed her to do something. She'd never considered refusing when anyone had told her they expected something done. It hadn't ever made her angry, just become part of her to-do list. "...I think I did tell him I expected it."

Ginny shook her head, waving at the note. "Well then, there you go. I don't think I would've given you a much different response."

Hermione felt herself beginning to go into focus mode now that his anger wasn't prodding at her chest. Draco's lack of a proper list had done it. He didn't want to help? Fine. She didn't need his help! Hermione knew how to take accurate memories from people, store them, organize them, label them, record testimonies, the works. There was no way she was waiting until morning, now. She grabbed her blue bag and summoned the fake galleon she'd used for Dumbledore's Army. _Luna- Send me an owl if I can come visit. -Hermione_

Hermione placed the fake galleon down, summoning more things from her blue bag. Vials. Many of them. Too many, but she didn't care. Another bag to sort and organize them. Labels, quills, parchment, a traveling cloak. What else would she need?

"Hermione? You going somewhere?" Ginny asked tentatively. Her friends knew this kind of fervor. When she was focused and set on a task, nothing was going to stop her.

"Luna's the only lead I have," Hermione repeated. "I don't need to wait for Arthur's friend from the Ministry." She flicked her wand and everything she'd summoned from her blue bag organized itself in a bag much like a doctor would have. She clicked it shut with her fingers.

A tapping on the window caught her attention. A black owl sat perched there. Hermione reached out to open the window. It hopped inside and to her lap, nuzzling her fingers before reaching down to nip at the string on its foot. A letter was there. She took it calmly, stroking the soft feathered face. The owl hooted softly before raising its wings to fly back out the window.

_Hermione- You are always welcome! Come by Floo. I'll make some tea and see you soon. -Luna_

Hermione stood, putting the black traveling cloak up around her shoulders and securing it. She picked up her bag and marched out the door. Ginny followed her. Hermione paused for a moment when passing Draco's door, a surge of irritation overwhelming her common sense. She put down her bag, summoned a piece of parchment, and quill, scribbling her own angry note.

_Draco- Fuck you, too. -Hermione_

Ginny stared as Hermione shoved the note under his door. "Hermione, what's gotten into you?"

"I'll be _damned_ if I let him sit back and let the Ministry send him to Azkaban, Ginny." Hermione said quietly as she put the quill away, picking up her bag again. "I've had it. He's acting like he's this awful monster that deserves to be punished." She walked down the stairs. "You're the one that asked me if I was going to let him go without a fight. Well, I'm not." Hermione walked to the fireplace, ignoring the curious glances the others gave her in the living room. "I came up with something. He's being stupid about it." She took a handful of Floo powder and threw it into the flames. They turned green. Hermione paused to turn and look at Ginny. "You think I'm wrong?"

Ginny was beaming at her. She shook her head no, "Nope. I'm loving this. Good luck!"

Hermione stepped into the flames and called out Luna's name. Soon, she was stumbling into Luna's house. Her father had been able to rebuild and repair it with some help from the Weasley's. It hadn't taken too long. Luna was wearing pajamas with a flying Hippogriff design that sorely reminded her of Buckbeak. She also wore a sky blue robe and rabbit slippers. Neville had matching slippers. Had Luna given him a pair?

The clock struck ten, and Hermione only just realized how late it was. She winced. "Luna, I'm sorry this is so late. I didn't think about the time."

Luna waved her hand dismissively, "I don't sleep for hours, Hermione. It's no trouble. It's nice to have someone else awake at this hour. Your message surprised me. Is everything alright?"

"...not really." Hermione admitted, sitting down in the chair. Luna poured them both tea as Hermione explained what was going on with Draco, from the very beginning, when she had been taken to the Manor, to their unintentional bonding, their marriage, his parents, the fact he was a Dreamer- it all came out! She didn't mean to do it. Luna sitting there, listening calmly, not reacting, made it easy to spill everything. _Everything_! Her friend merely nodded and blinked at appropriate spots, she never smiled or interrupted or laughed or frowned. Hermione's throat felt dry by the time she finished with his upcoming trial with the Ministry. Hermione even confided Draco's unhelpful behavior, and her immature response before coming by Floo powder.

"That is very complicated." Luna said softly. She swirled her tea, looking down at her cup, silent for a moment. "I'm happy to give you my memories, Hermione. It'll take a little while, though. I'm slow to pull them out in a line that makes sense. I can also give you about… ten other people who might be willing to help out. I'd be happy to send them an owl before you try to talk to them, but I think you should plan to go see Mr. Ollivander first. He's always awake by sunrise. I know he'll talk to you, if I write and ask him. I don't know about the others, though."

Hermione felt a rush of gratitude toward Luna. "Thank you. Anything helps, Luna."

Luna was quiet again. She looked at Hermione's wedding ring, glittering in the light of the fire. "...are you sure you'll be able to look at him the same way, after you see all this? He was forced to do terrible things, Hermione. It was like he was two different people."

"I know. He had to torture me, too."

Luna went silent, grasping her cup tightly, still looking at the ring. She shook her head no softly. "I'm not sure you're the best person to do this."

"Luna, I can handle it." Hermione insisted. "I know he didn't want to do any of that."

"Oh, I know you can," Luna poured herself another cup of tea. "I'm not worried about you. I'm not sure Draco will be able to look you in the eyes again, once you see everything."

Hermione felt a rush of irritation at his name. He was being childish if that's the way he'd react. A calmer voice in her mind told her Luna was right. That was interesting. She paused. "...you're probably right... but it's to help him. I can't just sit back and do nothing." Hermione sat back in the chair, trying to see this through Draco's eyes. He would be mortified if she saw everything he had been forced to do at the Manor. Hermione hadn't truly considered that until now. She'd been too irritated with him. "You are right. Luna, I won't watch the memories. I just need to sort them for the Ministry. Is that okay?"

Luna smiled softly. "I think that's the best option, Hermione. Let's send out the letters first."

They sat there and worked together to create a letter explaining that Draco would be going on trial, and what he needed in order to avoid time in Azkaban. The plea was simple. If they had a memory showing how he had tried to help in any way, to send it to Luna, or write to request Hermione so she could out their name on a list for a Ministry official come get it. There was also a request to duplicate the letter and send it on to anyone that might be willing to help. It was midnight by the time they duplicated the letters, and Luna's owl took off with several other owls.

"Okay. I think I was the first one he was forced to torture." Luna said as she settled down in her chair. "Do you want all of them or the important ones?"

First one? No wonder Draco had shut down so hard. "How about you start with the important ones? If they need more, I can write you."

Luna asked for five vials. Hermione set them up, and Luna slowly, carefully set to work. As Luna began to dive into memories, owls returned. Several carried other vials. Many wrote a letter thanking Draco. Hermione began to label and sort them. Others wrote names of those that Hermione might try contacting personally, as they didn't know Luna, but would definitely know the golden girl.

The owls soon covered the living room. Hermione wrote a thank you note to every single one. Luna finished with her memories and started to help sort things. Hermione was stunned when she realized it was nearly sunrise, and her bag held nearly a hundred memories. Luna smiled at the look on her face. "Do you think this will help his trial?"

Hermione nodded wordlessly. Part of her was alarmed she had already managed to gather so many memories. How many people had Draco been forced to torture? His shutting down made more sense. It was good Luna had told her not to watch these. Draco was going to be upset just seeing her with them.

"Oh good, Mr. Ollivander is awake." Luna said as her owl hopped into her lap sleepily with one more letter. "He says he would be happy to give you his memories, but that he would rather not send them by owl. He's still in St. Mungo's recovery ward." Luna smiled sadly. "I'm afraid that Draco's Crucio was just starting to get worse by the time you all arrived at the Manor that night."

That was surprising to hear. "Luna, you were there?"

"Oh yes. I had been there since Christmas. It was not a pleasant way to spend the holiday. Mr. Ollivander was good company, though. Dobby took us out first." Luna helped Hermione gather the rest of the supplies and papers. "I hope things work out for the best. Let me know if there's anything else I can do to help." She opened the jar of Floo powder. Hermione threw it to the fire and called out St. Mungo's recovery ward.

Ollivander was sitting up, expectant as Hermione walked in. "Miss Granger, delightful to see you again! Come in, dear girl, come in!" His bright blue eyes were sparkling, and his tone was upbeat, but there was a weariness in his face that she didn't remember ever seeing.

He had several vials already clearly prepared for her, but he had not been able to label them. His writing hand was stuck in a sling. He dictated their date and general title, and she added labels to each bottle before carefully adding them to her collection. The old man then pulled out a list of about fifteen more names. "I would add these names to the list of people for a Ministry official to gather memories."

"Thank you for all of this, Mr. Ollivander." Hermione took the paper. He saw her ring. The gasp from his lips told her that he recognized it. His eyes widened in surprise, then softened.

"Mrs. Malfoy?" He asked gently. "My goodness… I heard you screaming that night, child. How did this happen?"

Hermione slowly put the paper in her bag. She twisted the ring lightly around her finger. "It's a long story, Mr. Ollivander, and a lot of it doesn't make sense. I-"

A sudden, consuming panic swelled in her chest. Hermione held her breath, going ferociously dizzy. Mr. Ollivander reached out his good arm to steady her. His eyes widened. "Sympathetic telepathy?" He shook his head no, "But you can't have been married so long!"

Ginny burst in the room suddenly, looking a little nerve wracked. She saw Hermione and sighed in relief, stalking over and throwing her arms around her friend. "Oh. My. God. Everyone is losing their minds! You never came home, and Draco's vision, and Mom added you to the clock, and it said you were at St. Mungos- you have to come back _now! _Draco's gonna get stunned if Fred and George can't keep a hold on him."

Hermione still felt that dizziness as Ginny pulled away. What was going on? Hermione grabbed her bag, saying a quick farewell to Mr. Ollivander before apparting away with Ginny.

"Let me go. Let me GO!"

"Chill- chill, she's back. She's right here. She's fine!"

Hermione stared. Fred and George had Draco pinned up against the wall. He was incredibly pale and he had a bloody lip. So did the twins. Arthur held Molly in a chair in the living room. Everyone stared at her.

"What happened?" Molly asked immediately, bolting to her feet. "Hermione, why were you in the hospital?! We were worried sick!"

Hermione walked to the table and put down the bag, suddenly very tired, the sensation of panic in her chest overridden with complete exhaustion. "Arthur, here." Hermione flicked it open with her wand and the lists of names flew out. "This is what I have so far, and these are names for your friend to go get more memories and testimonies."

Arthur stared at the full bag. Fred and George slowly released Draco. Everyone was staring at the bag, the glittering vials of memories. Hermione turned to Draco. His expression became closed. A bubble of fury swelled in her chest- hotter than yesterday, more out of control. Hermione walked to him, shaking her head no, reaching a hand out to his so she could explain. He knocked her hand away hard before she could touch him, sidestepping her touch. Draco's eyes snapped to hers. The rage she felt boiling in her body made her breathless. His face had gone pale, breathing shallow as he stared at her in disbelief. Without a word, he turned to go up the stairs.

She followed him, managing to catch his arm. He wrenched it out of her grasp, whirling around with a dark look on his face. He looked furious. His hands clutched the railing tightly. The words were soft and cold. "Back off."

Draco stormed away and slammed the door to his room. Hermione felt the shadow of the worst panic attack in her chest. She bolted after him, slamming her fist on the locked door, too tired and angry to charm it unlocked. "Draco- damn it what's your middle name?!"

"It's Lucius!" Ginny called from the bottom of the stairs.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, you open this Goddamn door!" Hermione slammed her hand against it again as she shouted. His anger was feeding hers. She felt it. That wasn't good.

"Fuck off!" He yelled back through the door. "Leave me the hell alone!"

"Hermione…" the twins had followed them up the stairs. Fred was approaching cautiously.

"Open the door," Hermione snapped. The shadow attack she felt in her chest was terrible. Draco was going to pass out at this rate.

"Hermione, you should probably give him some time to calm down." George began, wiping blood from his lip. "I've never seen-"

"Open the door," Hermione repeated, clenching her teeth. She felt tempted to reach in her pocket for her wand, but another warning in her mind told her it wouldn't work right. "I don't know if I can unlock the door or if I'd blow it up with my temper right now."

The twins looked at each other sharply, and then back to her. They started to speak together. "Don't you think that means you should listen and leave him-"

She pulled out her wand and spat an angry alohomora at the door. The handle melted and the door flew open. Well, it wasn't locked anymore! Without another word to the twins, she marched into the room. Draco was half collapsed over the bed. He was in the middle of an awful panic attack. She stepped behind him, wrapping both arms around his chest while tapping into their bond and focusing on stopping it.

He tried to resist. Draco took both her hands in his immediately and pulled her away. She managed to get some of the panic to fade before he did it, but it was replaced with fear in equal measure. That surprised her. He'd been so angry. Why was he afraid?

"Don't touch me. I told you to go away!" Draco quickly stormed from the room, shoving the twins as he went down the stairs.

"Hermione," George grabbed her arm as she tried to walk past him. "I'd stop if I were you."

She slid her arm free from George. "Stop running away from me, Draco!"

This time when he whirled around, the expression on his face frightened her a bit. His voice exploded in the stairwell. "Stop chasing me, damn you, stop pushing it! I told you I didn't want to ask any of them to do this!" He came back up the staircase towards her. "You slip that note under my door, take off alone, show up at St. Mungo's- then come back with an entire bag **full** of their memories?" Two sets of arms suddenly held him back. Ron and Harry pulled him away from her. George and Fred both put a hand on her shoulders and pulled her behind them.

"Easy, mate." George held both hands up, shaking a head no at Draco. "You've gotta calm down."

"Fuck that- she wanted a fight and now she's got one!" Draco yanked out of both Harry and Ron's arms, pushing the twins out of his way as he stalked up the stairs towards her. Hermione backed into a wall. Draco pressed both hands over her shoulders, pinning her there. She'd never seen anyone this angry, this close.

"Do you have a clue how many Death Eaters are still loose?" Draco hissed. He was trembling with rage. "Do you have _any idea_ how much danger you put yourself in, wandering off like that all night?" His face was etched with exhaustion. "Do you have any _clue_ what dreams I saw, because of your temper?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes. She shoved him away, hard. "My temper?! You started this! Don't you go blaming me for your visions!"

Shoving him wasn't smart. His eyes flashed dangerously and his hands went to tight fists at his sides. He took a step back, managing one slow, deep breath. "I'm going to walk away from you, and you're going to stay here and let me."

"Like hell I am!" Hermione was shaking with anger now. She stepped towards him. They really were feeding each other's tempers. This was getting out of hand, but she couldn't stop. "I spent the entire night working on your trial, and you're going to scold me like I did something wrong? I'm just trying to help!"

"You're not helping!" He exploded, taking a threatening step towards her. "You're getting under my skin, witch, and I don't want you there!"

Hermione didn't like that. She shoved her wand in his chest, "Don't you come another step closer, Draco. You're scaring me."

"Good, because you nearly gave me a bloody heart attack." He growled, stepping into her wand. She stepped back against the wall. His eyes were furious. "How about next time, you listen the _first_ time I tell you to leave me the hell alone?!"

Draco stormed down the stairs and out the front door, the slam making the wall behind her tremble. She was shaking, standing there, unable to process his outburst. Hermione saw Harry, Ron, Fred and George all staring at her. She turned and moved quickly to her and Ginny's bedroom, shutting the door silently and leaning with her back against the door. Her hand covered her mouth as she tried to sort everything out in her mind.

Had she really messed up that badly? She hadn't been wandering around aimlessly. It had just been Luna's and St. Mungo's. Was that irresponsible? Dangerous? Was he right? Or was he over reacting? Good thing Luna had convinced her not to examine any of the memories. That reaction was one she didn't need to see. Why had Fred and George taken his side? That was surprising. Even Ron and Harry hadn't been able to say anything at Draco's temper.

It was really hard to think with his anger and fear pounding in her chest, magnifying her own. She closed her eyes, trying to take a deep breath to calm down.

A soft knock on the door came against her back. "Hermione?" Ginny. "Hey, can I come in?"

She stepped away from the door, pulling it open smoothly. Her friend walked in. Hermione silently paced back and forth in front of their beds. Ginny moved to her own bed, sitting cross legged while silently watching.

"I don't understand." Hermione said softly, biting her thumb nail. "Why is he acting like this?"

"...Draco woke up the whole house, screaming." Ginny said softly. "He came straight here, looking for you. George had to knock him to the ground before he made any sense. Said he'd seen you, being kidnapped and bloodied up. I told him you were at Luna's. Mom decided to add you to the clock to settle it. We all thought he'd just had a nightmare… but when we saw where you were… Draco went ballistic." Ginny shook her head softly. "I've never seen anyone like that. The twins tried to keep him down. I came to find you, and here we are."

"His dreams aren't always right." Hermione muttered.

"They're not always wrong, either." Ginny pointed out. "What were you doing there?"

"Mr. Ollivander had memories to give me." Hermione replied, renewing her pacing. "I was just going to retrieve them, that's all."

A loud cracking sound out the window made her jump. She hurried to the curtain, pushing it aside. The twins, Draco, Harry and Ron were on broomsticks. All of them had beaters bats and they were bashing a bunch of practice bludgers around. The anger in her chest started to loosen, but not the fear.

"He's acting like I did something wrong." Hermione released the curtain, sitting on her bed. She massaged her chest. That was starting to hurt. "I wasn't being careless, I didn't go wandering off all over the map. I know it's still dangerous."

"I feel like you gotta give him a pass on this one. You didn't see the way he freaked out, Hermione." Ginny glanced at the window as there was another loud crack. "...he was really afraid something happened to you."

Her fingers spun the ring on her hand nervously. The more he flew on that broomstick, the more she could feel the anger dissipating, an icy fear becoming more and more plain, and untouched. Why was she reading his emotions so much clearer? Her eyes snapped to the pile of books on Ginny's desk. It was easier to keep his fear at bay than his anger. She needed to understand what the hell was going on. Ollivander had called it sympathetic telepathy. Maybe one of those books had an explanation. Hermione strode to the pile, intending to turn book after book over to the index at the back. She didn't normally search individual terms, but that seemed like a pretty relevant starting point at the moment.

She couldn't open the books, though. Her mind kept replaying that furious look on his face. That had been more than a little frightening. A hand rested on the pile. Ginny stood, lightly touching Hermione's back. "Hey… you okay?"

"I don't know how to fix this." Hermione muttered quietly. "Why couldn't I just leave him alone? What's wrong with me?"

"Everybody needs to calm down." Ginny said, rubbing her back reassuringly. "You both went a little too far." She took Hermione by the hand, "You know, I don't think it's a good idea for you to try to read right now. Come on. Let's go for a walk."

"Draco's outside." She felt Ginny pulling her to the door. There was no arguing with that one.

"He doesn't _own _the whole bloody garden! We'll keep some space. Come on, it'll help."

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	17. Chapter 17: Learning Curve

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Chapter 17: Learning Curve

Walking outside didn't really help. Hermione felt hyper aware of Draco's presence. Every crack at a bludger had her flinching. It made her fearful that he'd start yelling from the air, and they'd fight all over again. She tried to walk with Ginny, but the sound of the bludgers rushing overhead, the cracking of the bats began to wear out her nerves quickly. Would Draco ever actually try to hit her? Hurt her? The way he had looked at her in the stairwell… what if Harry, Ron, Fred and George hadn't been there? She had never thought that. He wouldn't, right? The anger she had felt bubbling in her chest... the way he had yelled at her… what if he couldn't stop himself?

The next crack at a bludger sent an awful image of Draco hitting her through her mind. That was enough. She wouldn't feed that nightmare. He had _never_ put a hand on her to purposefully hurt her, and even yelling at her, he hadn't touched her. He had frightened her, absolutely, but he had _not_ touched her. Without another thought, she hurried back inside, away from the sound of those bludgers, despite Ginny's protesting that the fresh air would do her good. Hermione ended up asking Ginny to leave her alone.

Her head was starting to feel heavy after being awake for so long. She tried to lay down to rest at first, but just when she'd start to feel herself nodding off, there was a pulse of fear or anger that forced her awake. She knew Draco wasn't trying to do it, but the lack of sleep wasn't going to help her figure out how to resolve things between them. She pretended to be asleep when Molly came in to get her for breakfast. Ginny poked her head in the room several times throughout the meal.

Hermione took a book and secluded herself up in Ron's room. It was one room in the house where she felt like she could hide. No one ever looked for her there. It was always a mess, and she'd never tell Ron she liked his room, but it felt safe. She needed that right now. Most of the anger had ebbed away from their connection by lunchtime, and in its place, there was that untouched fear, and something that surprised her. Regret.

Ron and Harry suddenly came thundering up the stairs, as always. Ron's voice carried up to his room as they approached. "Honestly, I never thought I'd be agreeing with the ferret. What the bloody hell was she thinking? He even managed to tell her to stop three times and she still didn't listen!"

Hermione's jaw dropped. Ron taking Draco's side?! She must've been dreaming.

"I know, Ron, I know. Just leave it alone. She's gotta be feeling bad enough about it."

Harry, too?! Her mouth clicked shut as her fingers tightened on the book in hand.

"Leave it alone? Someone's got to tell her she was being an absolute-"

Ron opened the door and fell silent, going wide eyed when he saw Hermione there. She clicked her book shut quickly, standing. "Er- Hermione, what are you doing- Hermione! Wait, come on, wait a second!"

She pushed between them both and hurried back to Ginny's room. Draco was coming up the stairs as she darted down. The sight of him unnerved her slightly. She wasn't ready to see him yet. He turned to let her pass, but the moment that she did, her foot slipped. She tripped over the stairs, and Draco's arm shot out to catch her, balance her. An intense wave of emotion slammed in her chest at his hand on her skin. Anger, fear, pain, regret, desire, longing- she felt more than a little overwhelmed as it all hit together. Hermione felt the emotions overpowering her. Whatever that was, she wasn't ready for it. Balanced, she pushed his hand away without looking at his face, dashing to her room.

Ginny was waiting for her there. Her friend had brought lunch to the bedroom. Hermione's stomach was in knots and she couldn't eat. What had just happened in the stairwell? Why was she reading his emotions like this? She needed to understand.

Without so much as touching the plate of food, Hermione sat at the writing desk and began searching indexes for sympathetic telepathy. It wasn't in most of the books. Eventually, Ginny left the plate of food nearby, and let her be alone to focus. It took about an hour, but Hermione finally found the term in one of the oldest, most fragile books. There wasn't even much written down about it.

_Sympathetic telepathy is a rare and highly unique result of marriage and magical core bonding. Its known instances of creation have been connected to long-lasting marriages, intense trauma, and/or Seer blood. This link is a form of telepathy, directly connected to the emotions of the connected persons. If one partner is pushed beyond the threshold of tolerance, the other will know. It is unclear if this connection exists at all times, or only when specifically triggered by events._

Hermione ran her fingers over the words again after she'd read them, trying to take this in. Draco was being pushed beyond his limit. She suspected it, but now she knew. That answered that. What if this connection were open all the time now? That was a terrifying possibility! Hermione couldn't take feeling all of his emotions all the time. A softer wave of everything she had felt on the stairs flooded her chest. She put a hand to her heart, closing her eyes. It wasn't as bad as it had been. Maybe that meant the connection was temporary? Or was that only because there was space between them now?

A soft knock came from behind her. Hermione stood, rubbing the sore spot on her chest, opening the door with her other hand. Her fingers stiffened on the doorknob. Draco had a hand on his chest, he was doing the _exact_ same thing she was. His eyes caught that, too, and he looked surprised for a moment.

She was not ready to see him standing there, looking like he wanted to say something. Vividly, the frightening look on his face came back in her mind. Her heart started racing in her chest. She was not ready to fight more, or even look at him. Her head shook no. She wasn't ready to talk to him. Without a word, she quickly shut the door again and put her back to it. The ache in her chest worsened at that. Hermione silently gasped and slid down to the floor, running her hands into her hair. Had she just made another mistake? Was she supposed to try to face him when she wasn't ready?

She quickly pushed herself to her feet, pulling the door open again. He was gone. Hermione grit her teeth as she shut the door. How stupid was that? He'd come to say something, and she'd shut the door in his face. She threw herself face first on her bed, burying her head under a pillow. She'd never thought he'd come see her. Ron had been the only other person she had come remotely close to fighting like that, and half the time they pretended it never happened afterwards!

"Damn it… damn it!" She pulled the pillow hard over the back of her head. A gnawing ache was beginning in the back of her skull. Should she go after him? To say what? She'd likely just run away the second she saw him again, or freeze. That wasn't helpful.

She was so tired. The headache told her she needed to rest. So she tried. That only made the headache worse. Hermione started to drift in and out of terrible dreams. Awful dreams she didn't understand. People were attacking her. Why? Why was she dreaming that?

Molly Weasley came to force her downstairs for dinner. Hermione felt incredibly anxious as she picked at her food. Sitting at the table next to Draco felt uncomfortable. Thankfully, no emotions flooded her body. Maybe that meant the connection was temporary? He didn't look at her, talk to her or touch her the entire meal. She ate enough so Molly wouldn't be upset with her, but even that made her stomach hurt. The second she could rush back upstairs, she did.

For a long time, she lay in bed, pretending to be asleep so Ginny would leave her alone. It must've been midnight by the time she stood, taking quill and parchment downstairs to the living room.

Maybe she wasn't ready to face him, but she was ready to apologize for… what exactly? Frightening him. Pushing him too far. Should she apologize for going out to get the memories? She wasn't sorry for that. Would he expect an apology for that? She couldn't do it! Putting an apology note under his door would be less difficult than saying it to his face. Wouldn't it?

Hermione set everything up on the low coffee table, sitting on the floor. She picked up her quill and started to write. An hour later, the room was full of crumpled drafts and failed attempts. Her cat was happily playing with the balls of paper.

She threw down her quill in defeat. Why was this so damn difficult? It wasn't arithmancy! It shouldn't be so hard! She kept messing it up, trying to apologize, but not apologize, for going over to see Luna and Mr. Ollivander. No matter how many times she tried to write it, she didn't regret it, and then the whole letter was ruined. She could've just magiced the ink away and restarted, but crumbling the paper was satisfying. Her hands balled this one up too, and sent it flying over her shoulder.

Hermione felt a throbbing in her temples. She really should try to do this tomorrow. Shoving the parchment aside, she leaned forward to the low table and held her head between her hands, pressing her fingers to her temples. Crookshanks was still batting at several of the crumpled pieces of parchment behind her.

She folded her arms and put her head down on the table in front of her, thunking her head lightly on the wood once or twice. Maybe this was stupid. Would an apology note even mean anything to him? Her shoulders slackened slightly. She hadn't thought about that until now. What if he didn't care that she was sorry? Would they just keep fighting?

"...rough night?"

Hermione's head snapped up sharply and she whirled around. Draco?! He sat on the bottom of the stairs, several of her crumpled pieces of parchment in hand, several more in a pile on the stair next to him, and was soundlessly unfolding another to read. How long has he been sitting there? Crookshanks was batting them playfully to his feet. Damn that cat! How had Draco gotten down here and opened so many writing drafts so silently?

"Kind of." She admitted as she turned away from him, a lump of guilt settling into her throat. This was why she'd tried to write it. Speaking when she was upset was really hard. It didn't help that her head was pounding. Her hand held her skull in one hand, thumb massaging her temple as she leaned with her elbow against the wood.

"...did you sleep?" His voice was quiet. She shook her head no. Hermione didn't hear him walk to the couch behind her, but she did hear the cushions as he sat down. "Let me see your wand for a minute?"

Hermione took it in her fingers and handed it to him over her shoulder without turning around. Draco flicked it and there were two cups of delicious smelling tea there in front of her, along with a thing of honey. He reached over her shoulder to put the wand back down on the table. His mouth paused near her ear as he spoke gently. "Drink. It's got something in it to help with the headache."

It felt like he didn't want to fight anymore. That was a little reassuring. He picked up one of the cups and sat back on the couch. She still couldn't turn around to look at him. Hermione stirred some honey in the tea and began to sip at it. For a long while, they sat there, silently drinking their tea. It was helping her headache, and she was grateful for that. She swirled around the last of the liquid in her cup.

"Why are you sitting on the floor?" Draco asked softly, finally breaking the tense silence.

"I write better that way." She explained quietly.

"Well, it's hard to talk to you that way." Draco's leg lightly nudged her arm. "Can you sit up?"

Hermione didn't want to. It was much more comfortable avoiding his face and eyes. She tried to say as much, but nothing came out. She bowed her head, throat tightening again. Her head shook no as the grasp on her cup became too tight.

He sat forward, placing his cup down, taking hers out of hand as well. His hands caught her shoulders and began to squeeze gently. The tightness there relaxed in a heartbeat under his fingers. "We have to talk about this, Hermione."

She nodded, trying to find her voice again. Why was this so bloody hard? She cleared her throat, her voice very small, but it was more than she thought she could manage. "I'm sorry."

His head rested lightly against the back of her head. "...I know. I'm sorry, too." He squeezed her shoulders again. "Come on, why won't you look at me?"

Because she was afraid that they'd fight more. Because she didn't want to see that frightening expression on his face, ever again. Because she hadn't figured out everything she needed to apologize for, or how. Because even if she could, her voice wasn't cooperating. Because-

He sat down next to her on the floor, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and gently pulling her into him. "...talk to me. What's going on?"

Hermione reached for her quill and parchment, scribbling quickly and shoving it over to him. They made eye contact for the first time. He looked a little apprehensive, too. Draco was obviously confused by the paper, but he slowly reached a hand to the parchment and lifted it so he could read.

_I can't talk. My voice feels stuck._

Draco slowly lowered the paper to the table, his eyes reading her face silently. "Didn't expect that. Does that mean we should wait?"

She picked up her quill again. _I don't know what to say. I've been trying to figure it out. I didn't mean to scare you. I didn't mean to make you angry. I don't know how to fix it._

His arm tightened around her in a comforting way as she wrote, his thumb stroked her arm lightly. "...it'll help if I explain something about a Dreamer's sanctuary. You can't go putting notes under my door like that." He sighed. "The note triggered it while I was sleeping. That chamber is set up to block dreams, but given the right stimulus, it becomes a beacon for them instead. I saw things in your past and in your future. An emotionally charged object like that is fuel for visions."

Hermione put both hands over her mouth as he spoke. Her temper. He'd told her, he'd seen dreams because of _her _temper. She'd forced him into multiple dreams because she'd been childish and shoved a note under his door. That made her feel awful. Her quill began to scratch again. _I'm sorr-_

Draco took his hand and gently pressed her quill down. "You didn't know. Now you do." He shook his head no, lightly pulling her fingers away with his hand. "Granger, I can't do this with a quill and parchment. If you can't talk, then you're probably not ready to. Let's just go for a walk and see if you think you can talk with me."

He let go of her shoulder to take her hand in his, pulling her to her feet. His fingers laced with hers as he moved to the door. It was dark outside. His hand squeezed hers gently and she returned the gesture as they silently walked around the Burrow. Her eyes eventually adjusted to the darkness.

On their third lap, she felt her throat begin to relax. She kept having trouble looking at him when she tried to talk, even in this dim light. They headed towards a cluster of trees. Hermione stopped walking. "...you really scared me on the staircase."

"I was not in control." Draco replied quietly. "I should've walked away."

"I wasn't letting you. I'm sorry."

"Look, Hermione, we've both already apologized. Don't keep saying that." He gave her hand another squeeze. "I don't want to hear a million apologies. Once is enough. Now we have to talk it out. Why couldn't you let me walk away?"

"I don't know." Hermione admitted softly. It was easier to talk now. "I had been up all night, and I felt how angry you were, and it made me angrier, and I wanted to explain the memories, and I couldn't just ignore you with that panic attack… that was really bad."

His expression became guarded. She saw him tense in the dim light. "How many of those memories did you see?"

"None." Hermione caught his eye. He looked like he was holding his breath. They were silent again, for a tense minute.

He exhaled slowly and stepped closer to examine her face seriously, silver eyes searching her face carefully. "...are you telling me the truth right now?"

"I only put labels on the vials and sorted them. That's it." She put her other hand on his chest. "I swear, Draco. I didn't look at any of them."

His eyes closed and his face relaxed at her touch. He rested his forehead against hers, his other hand took her hand from his chest to kiss along her knuckles. "I really don't want you working on my trial anymore, Hermione. You're too close."

"Too close to what?"

Draco's eyes opened and her breath caught at that look. He pressed her hand back to his chest before softly kissing her cheek. His heart pulsed hard against her fingers. "You're too close to me. I don't want my wife-"

He hadn't ever called her that. She felt butterflies in her stomach. "Draco-"

"Yeah, I know, dating while married, girlfriend not wife, but the bond matters here." He hadn't ever called her his girlfriend, either. His eyes held hers seriously. "If you had looked into those memories, we'd be done right now. I couldn't take it. I can barely stand that you're starting to see how many people I tortured."

Hermione was grateful to Luna. Her friend's warning was the only thing that had stopped her from making a huge mistake. "...how do I ask you to stop doing something?" Draco continued quietly. "What do I have to say? Tell me. I'll say it."

Hermione was really surprised. She shook her head no. "I'm good at this. It's just letter writing, organizing and research. I… I don't want you to go to Azkaban." Her fingers tightened slightly in his shirt. "...don't ask me to stop. Your trial is so soon. I want to keep working on this."

"I had different visions of you running off to strangers that I tortured." Draco admitted. "About a quarter of them hurt you to get back at me. Then, when I saw you were in the hospital…" His jaw clenched tightly, then he shook his head no, "...don't ask me to watch you keep going. I _need_ you to stop."

Her eyes widened slightly. She'd had dreams of people attacking her- had those been flashes of what he'd seen? How had he had so many visions? He always woke up after one! "How long were you dreaming?"

"Whenever you put that note under my door, until whenever the first candle burned out," Draco said softly, brushing his hand across her cheek. "Good thing I forgot to replace one of them."

Hermione bit her lip. The odds from that statement told her that she'd be better off leaving it alone. But how could she sit back and do nothing? How could she stop, now? What if Arthur's friend wasn't good enough, and she hadn't put in her best effort? What if he was found guilty at the trial? She swallowed hard, pressing her head against his chest. "...I don't want to lose you."

"Even if I'm in Azkaban, you won't." His hand let go of hers and his arms wrapped around her. "...but there's a real risk of you being seriously hurt, working on this." His lips pressed against the top of her head.

Hermione wrapped her arms around him and held him close, closing her eyes. He was right this time, and she knew it, but she didn't like it. His anger and fear made sense now. Her heart hurt as she nodded. It felt like she was giving up on him, like a mistake to back away from this. "Okay… I'll tell Arthur I can't work on it anymore."

"Promise?" Draco asked softly.

"I promise." The words felt awful in her mouth. She didn't want to promise. Not working on his trial was going to grate her nerves. Maybe she could read up about appeals instead. Her arms tightened around him. "...I hate this." She whispered. "I don't like doing nothing."

"Who says you're going to be doing nothing?" He asked teasingly, smoothing her hair. Hermione looked up, suddenly angry and confused. Why in the hell was he teasing her now? She pulled away from him, crossing her arms over her chest and turning around so he wouldn't see the confused heat in her eyes. His teasing was too soon. She wasn't okay with that yet.

"You just made me promise not to work on your trial!" She shook her head at him, shrugging her shoulders. "What else am I supposed to do?"

"I can think of a few things," Draco said quietly. He slowly pulled her back against his chest while leaning on a tree, turning so they were only facing the dark forest of trees.

His fingers were brushing her hair from her neck. "If I did get taken away…" he muttered, trailing his lips to her exposed skin. "Do you know how much I'd regret not getting my hands on you tonight?"

An intense rush of longing and desire hit her as his lips touched her neck. Hermione's breath caught as his hand slid under her shirt to her breast, his teeth dug into her neck, and his other hand undid her jeans with two quick motions, and slid down against bare skin.

"Draco!" She shuddered as his fingers pinched a nipple.

"You're not ready for make up sex, Hermione," he muttered into her skin. "Let me do this to you… please…"

And she did. Hermione could barely stay standing. Her head pressed back over his shoulder, and his lips, tongue and teeth must have left some marks with the intensity of several of those bites. Together with his hands and fingers, he had her lost in an intense release that left her shaking.

Afterwards, his hands calmly fixed her clothing and he held both arms around her waist, kissing the side of her head. Hermione was still trembling, heart pounding out of control, as her hands fell to rest on top of his.

"Now that's _very_ interesting with our bond…" Draco muttered into her ear. She shivered. Everything felt electrified. Part of her didn't want him to stop. Part of her was excited by that. Part of her wanted to get her hands on him. Another part of her was completely floored that she had just let him do that… and another part of her wanted him to do it again.

"What's interesting?" She breathed, trying to regain her ability to think straight.

"You'll find out someday," he replied, kissing the side of her head again. "...not tonight, though."

Interesting statement. He didn't want her touching him tonight? She wanted to, now. Why did he say that? Was there still something wrong? "...are we okay now? Is there anything else we need to talk about?"

"We're okay." He gave her a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

"Then why'd you say not tonight?" Hermione asked quietly, a little apprehensive about his answer.

"...because if you start putting your hands on me…" he muttered quietly into her ear. "...I'm going to start pushing you for that make up sex, and our first time will _not_ be in this crowded house."

That felt like a promise. Hermione shivered as his lips touched her ear lightly.

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	18. Chapter 18: Verdict

Please Review!

Chapter 18: Verdict

Hermione blinked sleepily. She'd heard something. She lifted her head from Draco's chest. After they walked around outside a little longer, she'd been hit with all the tiredness from the past couple of days. She'd sat down to clean the mess from her notes, but Draco had interrupted her. He pushed her back against the couch slowly and playfully, sexily, put his hands in her pockets- taking his time to press his fingers into her hips, making her heart race- as he teased her about forgetting she had a wand.

Then he'd sat back, flicking her wand about the room to clean the mess of paper balls, much to Crookshank's disappointment. Draco had smirked at her when she smacked at his chest for making her heart beat like that. He'd stolen that hand, and did something sinful to her wrist with his teeth and tongue, before he had given back her wand.

Her large ginger beast hopped up on their laps and stretched out. For a while, they had sat there, talking quietly about nothing important, but it had been nice. Her head started to nod. Draco had not unkindly moved her cat, turned his body so she could lean into him, wrapped an arm around her, and within minutes, she was sound asleep.

She enjoyed sleeping with him. It was calming to wake up and feel his heartbeat under her hand. Did that have anything to do with their bond? She wasn't sure.

Ron was standing at the foot of the stairs, staring at them. Draco stirred slightly, his fingers sleepily tangled in her hair, lightly pulling her back to his chest as he exhaled hard in his sleep, turning his head the other way. For an instant, Ron looked hurt. Then his eyes slid to look at Draco's hand in her hair. He grit his teeth for a moment, then huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorway to the kitchen.

Ron spoke a lot louder than he needed to this early in the morning. "Do you lovebirds have to do that in the middle of the god damned house?"

Draco's entire body jumped. His eyes snapped open as he tensed, his head turning quickly to Ron. He looked highly aggravated. "Do you really have to wake people like that?"

"You've got two perfectly good rooms upstairs- pick one," Ron grumbled. "I don't wanna walk in on the two of you snuggled up together, ever again."

With that, he marched off into the kitchen. Molly, Arthur and Ginny were already sipping their tea and coffee, smiling at the two of them sleeping on the couch that way. Of course Ron would be the one to interrupt them. Draco stretched his arms above his head, covering his mouth with one hand. She liked the feeling of his body moving under hers.

Maybe Ron had a point. Hermione sat up, twisting her hair over her shoulder. Draco met her eyes and suddenly sat up quickly, taking her hair and sliding it around to the other side of her neck, kissing her cheek. His voice was barely a sound as he drew back. "...I hope you know some concealment spells, Granger. Why didn't you tell me I was biting you too hard?"

"It felt good." She muttered just as quietly. A satisfied smirk caught his lips at that. She blushed slightly. "I don't know any concealment spells for something like that."

"You better ask Ginny." Draco said, stroking her hair again to make sure her neck was covered before they stood.

"I heard my name!" Ginny bounced over to them and took Hermione around the waist at her side, beaming. "Good to see you two getting along again."

Hermione's hair slid from her shoulder when she turned to look at Ginny. Her friend's eyes saw it immediately but she didn't stop smiling. "Hermione, I gotta ask you to put back some of Mum's books before breakfast. I forgot she said there is a ten book limit."

"Oh Ginny, she doesn't have to do that now!" Mrs. Weasley called from the kitchen. "Come have a bite to eat first. You barely ate anything yesterday! Draco, you too."

"Nope! Gonna do it now!" Ginny called as she looked over her shoulder at her mother. "I don't want to take any chances of you mucking about in my room. C'mon, Hermione." Ginny turned back to Draco and gave him a wink as she began to pull Hermione towards the staircase.

"Let's just go take care of that real quick."

Thank Merlin for Ginny. Hermione stood in front of the mirror, examining an interesting collection of bruises on her neck from last night. The skin was a little tender. Ginny quickly performed the charm to conceal the marks, promising she'd teach it to Hermione _after_ she got the story about why she had them. They hurried to return a few stacks of books to their proper shelf before rushing downstairs for breakfast.

Draco pressed his leg against hers under the table throughout breakfast. It was comforting, to know that he wanted some more connection after resolving their fight. She did, too. She was starting to want a lot more connection.

Draco's eyes glanced to Molly's clock. Hermione looked over. The witch had added Hermione, Harry and Draco. All the hands were pointing to home. It made her smile slightly. Molly Weasley's heart was as big as her family.

After breakfast, most of the family went to Hogwarts. Draco and Hermione still weren't allowed back. Molly suggested Draco try to get some sleep, and Hermione to read a few more books. Once the house was quiet, Hermione had intended to help Draco get to sleep and curl up with a few books.

He surprised her when he followed her to Ginny's room, wrapping an arm around her waist, the other hand moving her hair from her neck. His lips toyed with the concealed marks. That sort of hurt… but it sort of felt good, too. She closed her eyes, leaning into him slightly.

"You up for that date, Granger?" He muttered softly, his hand running lightly along her throat, up to her cheek and turning her head towards his to kiss her softly.

"Yes." Oh, now _that_ was something. She was shocked how much she liked the feeling of his hand sliding along her throat. "But are you sure you're allowed to leave here?"

"I'll give you that part of the letter." His hand lightly slid down her throat, trailing away. She swallowed hard. He released her waist. "It's got Kingsley's seal."

He pulled a letter from his pocket and handed it to her as she turned around. She opened it and sure enough, there was Kingsley's stamp of approval, a note that Draco was allowed full access to the location, with an address.

Hermione's stomach twisted slightly, throat still tingling from that pleasant touch… they _would_ be out of this crowded house. Was that what was he thinking? No. Was that what she was she thinking? No! What was she thinking?

"Do I need to bring anything with me?" She asked, feeling a little smile catch her lips. She was excited to spend some time with him, no matter what happened.

"Nope." He kissed the edge of her mouth, a smirk on his lips as he took one of her hands. "Just you."

She apparated them to the address on the paper. The sight surprised her. It was a beach house. Nothing like the cold marble of the Manor- it was large, but simple. There was no other building in sight. The ocean was so close, waves lapping up to the shore. "Draco, why didn't you tell me to bring a swimsuit?"

"What's the matter, Granger?" he grinned playfully as he slid a hand around her side. "Don't you have a birthday suit?"

Hermione flushed darkly. He laughed. "There's no need to be shy," he wrapped his other arm around her. "...nobody will see us."

"I really hope you're joking." She muttered, hiding her burning face in his chest.

"Half," he admitted, chuckling. She could feel him smiling. "There's an entire room full of suits." His hand brushed through her hair. "I honestly didn't think you'd have one packed. You can pick whatever you like, and charm it to size."

He led the way into the house, keeping hold of one of her hands. The room with the swimsuits was incredibly well organized. Hermione felt a little overwhelmed at the number of options. He left her there, turning to another room. She saw many swim trunks just before he shut the door. How was she supposed to find something, with this many choices? Hermione walked around the room once, quickly. There were two piece, one piece, delicate things that looked like they'd never survive the waves- things that made her blush- but her eye caught a cute dark blue bikini. She undressed, pulled it on and charmed the fabric to fit properly. There was a simple white, sleeveless pullover dress nearby and brown sandals.

Once she was dressed, she walked out. Draco was humming something in the next room.

He saw her and the humming paused. His eyes ran down her body quickly for a moment, and he tore them away from her, slightly pink in the cheeks. She smiled as he cleared his throat while nodding at the door.

"Can I borrow your wand for a minute?" She handed it to him, and then he was charming things from the house out to the beach. She saw an umbrella set up, chairs, towels, water, a table, food. He wore a pair of dark green swim trunks, and no shirt. The scars on his chest stood out in the light. His arm no longer held the dark mark, but there was scarring from the spell Bill had used to curse it from his skin. When he turned to hand her back her wand, she lightly pressed her lips against his.

He smirked under her lips. They walked out to the beach together, hand in hand. Draco went straight to the water. Hermione took off her white dress cover, laying down on a chair in the sun, closing her eyes. She'd never imagined things being peaceful like this any time soon. The sun felt brilliant on her skin.

She shrieked when Draco suddenly slid, dripping wet, across her body, pressing his cold lips to hers, hard. "You're freezing!" Her hands pushed him back as she laughed. "What are you doing!"

"Couldn't help it." He muttered, making her jump with a cold hand at her side as he sat down. "I turned around and saw you…" he was kissing her again, making her flinch slightly with cold hands on her body. "I just couldn't help it."

His lips trailed down to the concealed marks on her neck once more. She winced. That hurt a little bit now. He paused, pulling away, sitting up. "Don't let me bite you that much again, okay?"

"You'd just better bite me on the other side," she argued back, sitting up on her elbows. He looked back to her and cursed softly, kissing her back down to the chair, turning her head to bite the other side of her neck.

"I told myself I was going to be good." Draco murmured into her skin, biting again. "I told myself not to do this."

Hermione took his hand and placed it lightly at the base of her throat. He paused at that, tracing his fingers up her throat, then down, between her breasts. She shivered at that touch. His breathing quickened as he repeated the motion, pressing his palm against her throat lightly, letting his hand caress her skin more fully. Her heart pounded under his hand.

"Damn." He whispered softly, pressing his lips against her throat, "You're not being fair, Hermione. I wanted to take it easy with you on a date to the beach. How am I supposed to do that when you…" he trailed his fingers along her throat again, this time turning her head away so he could get to her neck with his tongue easier. Her hands grasped the chair tightly.

He pulled away, the sensation of his lips and hands vanishing like a bucket of ice water down her spine. His voice was suddenly teasing in her ear. "...you want more, you'll have to come get it." He stood and disappeared. Hermione sat up quickly. Draco was grinning at her, walking backwards towards the water, hands out to his sides. "Not gonna chase me this time?"

Hermione stood, walking towards him in the sand. "I thought you told me not to do that."

"Context," Draco smirked, tucking his hands into his pockets as he continued to walk backwards, grinning at her. "I think I told you to come after me, this time."

He started to step into the water, up to his knees. Hermione started to follow him, but gave a startled cry at the coldness of the water, jumping away. He laughed, stepping further in the waves. "Not too much for you, is it?"

Hermione stepped out into the water. The cold bit slightly but she'd be damned if she let him run away after that! Soon they were both soaking wet, diving through waves. The water felt amazing. When was the last time she had been in the Ocean? She couldn't remember.

They dove through waves to get beyond the crashing at the shore, and he had playfully kissed her cheek once she'd managed to swim over to him. Relaxing together in the water was surprisingly good.

"So what is this place?" Hermione asked, nodding back at the house as she jumped with a wave.

"Vacation home." Draco replied simply. "Been a while since I've been here, though." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "It might've been before Hogwarts." He shrugged, swimming along a wave. "Well…That doesn't matter. I'll be here more now."

Hermione reached out a hand to his shoulder and playfully wrapped her legs around him. Draco's eyes widened for a moment in surprise, then narrowed viciously. "Hold your breath, witch."

He dunked them both under the water. She held him tightly as they went under. Above the water, her hair was now a curtain over her face and heard him laughing. His hands pushed it away. She let him go, dunking herself under the water to fix the mess, pushing it away from her face. Hermione stuck out her tongue, floating on her back and splashing him with a foot as she swam away.

"I didn't want you to let go," he complained, catching her ankle with a smile, pulling her back to him. She cried out in surprise as he took her leg and tucked it around his body as she struggled to stand on one foot. "You followed me. Doesn't that mean you want more?"

His hand went to her low back, and he pulled her up against him. She wrapped her other leg around him again, catching his shoulders. Fingertips danced beneath the edge of the back of her swim bottoms. His other hand caught her thigh and slid along to her rear, giving an unexpected squeeze. "Draco!" She caught his hand and slid it up, too surprised by the touch to decide if she liked it it not.

That playful smirk split his face again. He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her forehead as she blushed. "Alright, alright, I can be good…"

She frowned at him. "I don't believe that."

He laughed, "Hey now, don't get mad at me, when's the last time you went for a swim with your boyfriend? Do you know how hard it is to keep my hands to myself?"

She hadn't heard him call himself her boyfriend. That made her pulse double. She hadn't ever been swimming with her boyfriend, either. Come to think of it, had she ever really had a boyfriend? Did Krum count? Did Ron?

Draco was fishing for answers, and she knew it with his next question. "Who was the last one you were with, anyway? Was bloody surprised to see you with Krum at the Yule Ball, then those letters he wrote you. You've got him under your thumb… Then you were under the mistletoe at Slughorn's party with McCragen."

Hermione winced at that memory. "Ah… well I never really dated McCragen. I only took him to the party to get back at Ron."

"Right. I remember Wealsey saying you were almost his." Draco jumped with a wave, keeping hold of her. "To be honest, I thought you'd want to go back to him. Things were slow with you two, but it was going somewhere…"

"Draco," Hermione suddenly realized that he was describing things he couldn't possibly know. "Did you have Dreams about… about…"

"Your exes? Yeah, I did." He didn't look upset. "Was a strange night, being in your shoes." A repulsed expression crossed his face. "McCragen kisses like an eel."

Hermione burst out laughing. She couldn't help it. He rolled his eyes. "You- you were in _my_ shoes?!"

"That's kind of how dreams work, Granger." He growled. "I never should have told you."

"And what did you think of Krum's kiss?" Hermione giggled, wrapping her arms around Draco's neck.

Draco paused at that. Krum had taken her out to a beautiful, secluded spot in the garden and they had made out for the better part of an hour, during the Yule Ball. It had been fun, and exciting to break the rules that night… and several other nights when they had snuck into each other's arms.

"Krum's a gentleman, that's for sure." Draco's next sentence shocked her. "You'd have been happy marrying him."

They floated up over another wave as he jumped. "I… I thought you said you'd seen my past?"

"Never said that." Draco replied quietly. "I dreamed about _you_, with your exes. Past, futures, can't really control any of it."

"...why are you bringing this up?" Hermione felt a little blindsided. She'd never expected to have her legs wrapped around Draco's body, and talk about her exes. That suddenly felt wildly inappropriate. Her legs tried to let go but he caught them, keeping her there.

"I don't know. It was on my mind." Draco watched the water, holding her waist as he jumped another wave. She could see he was telling the truth, but she could tell he was leaving something out.

"Tell me." She squeezed him, with legs and arms. His eyes turned back to hers.

"You could be happy with any of them." He winced, "Okay, maybe not McCragen, but still. I forced you into this, from the start. You're a Gryffindor, and I'm a Slytherin. We're going to fight. It's not always going to be easy, or happy. Hell, I'm a war criminal, Hermione." He jumped another wave, holding on to her tighter this time. "You've got an International Quidditch star ready to bend the knee, and Ron, who's been in love with you since first year. I'm the idiot that called you a Mudblood to your face, for years… how could you ever really be happy with me?"

Hermione kissed him, tapping into their connection purposefully to tell him that she _was_ happy, pressing a little deeper into it so that he could feel it, too. His arms tightened around her immediately. A wave went over their heads and they both let go, coughing and laughing as they emerged from the water. He smiled at her. A real smile. That had been worth it, then.

After a long while in the waves, they stumbled their way back onto the sand. Hermione pushed her soaking wet hair to one shoulder, wringing the water out as she moved back towards their chairs. Draco handed her a water bottle and she drank gratefully before stretching out on her stomach in the sun. She opened her eyes to look at him.

He was laying on his back, smiling, eyes closed. She wasn't sure if she had ever seen him this relaxed. Closing her eyes, she sighed softly, enjoying the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. They enjoyed the warmth of the sun and rhythmic crashing of the waves for a long time.

Draco wanted to keep her, but he also kept trying to let her go, or see if she wanted to. That was curious. How could she convince him that she wanted to stay?

"Did you feel what it was like when you kissed me, in your dreams?" Hermione asked suddenly.

His eyes opened and he turned to look at her, forehead creasing slightly. "No. I don't know if that's possible. I'm already connected, there. Dunno if I can be in two places at once in a Dream. Never been like that."

Hermione swung her legs over the chair, standing and moving to sit on the edge of his. He gave her a raised eyebrow and started to smirk, sitting up. "What are you up to?"

"Lay down." Draco's eyes were confused but he obeyed. Hermione pressed her hand lightly to his chest, focusing on their connection and the sensation she felt when he put his hand on her throat. Draco's eyes suddenly fluttered closed as her hand trailed along his throat, and back down his chest. She did it again, just like he had earlier. His hands grasped the chair tightly, he swallowed hard against her palm. The third time, she leaned across his chest, lightly moving his face aside to taste the skin of his neck.

"Oookay…" Draco muttered, turning his face to hers and kissing her, a hand catching hers to keep it against his chest. "Okay, I get it. You haven't had desire like this with any of them. Lesson learned. Now, the question is, do you want to _do_ something about it?"

"Yes." Hermione was surprised to feel him hesitate. She paused, too. He'd warned her multiple times that he wanted more. She did too, but they still weren't on the same page. He knew it, too. "Maybe… maybe not everything you're thinking… but…"

He sat up, kissing her softly, that warm, soft sensation flooding her chest again. "...but something… yeah, I think that's smart. I really don't want to rush with you…" he exhaled softly. "...but damn I never thought you'd want my hands on you that badly."

He stood. She grabbed her beach dress and wand, and they walked inside together. He went up a staircase, taking her hand in his as he pushed open the door to a bedroom- his bedroom, and she knew it.

The room was absolutely beautiful. Wood floor like the rest of the house, dark sheets on the bed, sheer curtains floating at the windows- but the rest of it got lost as he closed the door and they walked to his bed together.

It felt dangerously good as his hands stripped her swimsuit, and as she undid his swimming trunks, and he pushed them away. He pulled back the sheet and they lay under there together, hands and eyes curiously exploring each other's bodies. She had never been naked in bed with anyone like this.

He held his breath when she ran a hand down past his stomach for the first time. He shuddered at her touch, and she liked that reaction. Draco's lips started to push her to her back, and his hand began to press her legs open, fingers moving against her skin with purpose, when there was a loud cry downstairs.

"Merlin's balls, this place is amazing!"

Draco pulled away sharply, cursing under his breath. He ripped the sheet off his body and grabbed her swimsuit, putting it on the bed. He quickly pulled his on, running his hands through his hair, face slightly flushed as he spoke quietly. "They finally read the letter. Damn it, I thought we'd have one day."

"Oi, where are you?" One of the twins called.

The other continued. "Draco? Hermione?"

"Get dressed," Draco muttered, leaning down to kiss her, "I'll keep them downstairs." He paused, kissing her again, softer. "...let's pick this up again later… okay?"

Draco silently opened and shut the door, she heard a chorus of greetings from the Weasley's. She also heard a familiar pair of very quiet feet. Hermione hurriedly dressed but she wasn't fast enough. Ginny peeked in from the door. She saw Hermione, half naked in bed, and threw both hands to her mouth, stepping in the room and silently closing the door. "Did you- did you _really-_?!"

"No," Hermione flushed. "You all interrupted."

Ginny stifled her laughter, but then sat on the bed as Hermione took her wand to quickly tie her suit back together. "Well you'll be able to fix it later. Hermione, Kingsley pardoned him. Completely! Draco's mum is even going to get a lesser terms of service, and his Dad is safe from the death sentence. I don't know what memories you got hold of, Hermione, but bloody hell it was more than enough!"

Hermione stared at Ginny. Her friend stood quickly, "Come on! We all came over to celebrate, Dad's gonna give him the letter any second now!"

Ginny and Hermione raced downstairs. They both paused on the stairwell. Draco had just opened the letter, and was pulling it from the envelope, looking a little bemused at the expressions on the Weasley faces. His face went blank as he unfolded the paper to read, eyes widening. When he finished, he silently folded the paper and nodded at Arthur, who nodded back. Draco turned away and silently went to the staircase. Hermione gently held his arm. He paused.

"Give me a minute." Draco said quietly, not pushing her away, not looking at her at all. Hermione squeezed his arm gently before letting him go. He walked up the stairs and disappeared.

"Alright, well, while he lets that sink in," Fred clapped his hands together, "Let's get in the water!"

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Author Note:

Hello! If you read this, thank you :) I am currently in the process of moving, and up to my eyeballs in stress. Writing this story is a huge way for me to decompress. If you read something you like, please review or send me a PM. It gives me a break from the stress of packing and organizing to get lost in the story/reviews. 3 Hope everyone is enjoying their summer!


	19. Chapter 19: Mistakes

Chapter 19: Mistakes

Hermione smiled at the sight of her friends shouting and relaxing on the beach. She had insisted Ginny go with them, noticing that she and Harry held hands on their way to the sand. Watching them all out there, carefree in a way she had never seen, was heartwarming. How long had it been since she'd seen this family not look over their shoulders?

Draco hadn't come downstairs. Hermione was resisting the urge to go up after him, but barely. She wanted to follow him, talk about it, make sure he was okay- but she was sure that would not make him happy. Her feet refused to go join the others on the beach without him.

Molly and Arthur strode hand in hand down the beach. Ginny and Harry sat on a beach towel together, likely doing the same. Ron was off on his own, watching the water. Percy, Charlie, Bill and Fluer were stretched out in beach chairs, under umbrellas. Fred and George began body surfing on the waves. Quite literally! One of them kept attempting to stand on the other. It was hysterical to watch, and she couldn't help but laugh with the rest of them.

Two arms wrapped around her waist and she jumped, whirling her head around. Draco gave her an amused face at that reaction. "Easy," he muttered, drawing her back into his chest. Hermione relaxed, resting her hands against his.

"You okay?" She asked quietly. He didn't say anything, just gave a gentle squeeze.

For a while, they stood there in silence. The crashing of the waves and laughter bouncing back to the house made her smile again. She giggled as the twins continued their ridiculous attempt in the waves. Draco suddenly sighed, pressing his face into her hair.

"What are you thinking?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Nothing now." Draco nuzzled the side of her head, "Just enjoying this."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Hermione pressed her hands into his arms, closing her eyes for a moment.

"No." There was a sense of finality there that told her not to ask again. She nodded. He kissed the side of her head lightly. For a while longer, they stood there. It was easy to stay that way, the silence comfortable between them. It felt good to know that there was no way she would lose him to Azkaban, now. Ginny saw them and waved a hand, calling for them to come join everyone on the beach. Draco released her waist, but his hand caught hers as they started out.

Once again, Draco went immediately to the water. Hermione went to join Ginny and Harry on a beach blanket. Ginny was currently stretched out on her stomach with her hands under her chin, Harry on his back with his hands behind his head. She sat down next to them both, looking out over the beach and the water.

Fred and George wasted no time in pulling Draco into their antics. The man didn't appear thrilled. He rolled his eyes slightly and gestured towards the house. Both the twins looked at each other, then back at him in surprise. Fred turned his head and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Harry! Gotta wand on you?"

"Yeah, why?" Harry called back, sitting up on his elbows.

"He's saying there's some enchanted surfboards in the house." George gave a double thumbs up at that and a devilish grin behind Fred's back. "Wanna summon 'em?"

Harry pulled his wand from his swim trunks and flicked it. A crash came from the house and four surfboards came rocketing out through a broken window. Ginny stifled a laugh. Harry swore. Draco checked his jaw, covered his eyes with a hand and shook his head. Hermione could see him sigh in exasperation at the half thought out summoning charm. She took her wand in hand and flicked it at the window with a silent repairo. Draco gave her a slightly strained, patient smile and a nod of thanks.

The three in the water made it past the waves and back to the beach. Hermione was startled to see Draco yell at Ron to take one of the boards. Her friend had isolated himself, staring around at the house and the beach. Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek. Ron had always been conscious of his own family's lack of wealth. Draco's family, having all of this… it must have been eating at Ron. Draco took one of the boards, the twins took two others, then one of them noticed Ron's behavior. George handed his board to Fred, went over to Ron, and said something while clapping him on the shoulder. Ron gave a forced smile and followed his brother, taking the fourth board. Hermione released the inside of her cheek. He was trying. She relaxed, and Ginny sat up, scooching closer to her so they could watch this together.

Once they were in the water, Draco taught them how the boards worked. The twins had trouble. They kept getting on their feet and then losing balance as the board magically summoned a wave to ride. Ron, however, took to it like a chess game! She'd never seen anything come to him so easily. Ron's performance drew Harry, Bill and Charlie into the water to give the boards a try. Ginny put her head on Hermione's shoulder.

"I never thought I'd see this," Ginny confessed quietly as the laughter in the water became an uproar when Bill flipped backwards off the board as it tried to take off. "...I mean…" her hand waved at the beach, everyone in her family. "...we all made it, your boy-toy is cleared, everyone's laughing…" She dropped the hand. "...it feels really good."

Hermione wrapped an arm around Ginny's shoulders, squeezing her lightly, enjoying the sound of laughter from the water.

"You never _did_ explain how you got those love bites." Ginny suddenly commented as she sat up, making Hermione flush. "I better teach you that spell… and…" Her friend grinned and blushed as well, elbowing her slightly. "You _do_ know a good contraceptive spell, don't you? I mean, you didn't get in that bed without casting one, right?"

"Ginny! We weren't going to go that far!" Hermione quickly turned away from the water to hide her burning face, laying on her stomach.

"Well… it doesn't hurt to use it, even if you don't need it!" Ginny laughed, mimicking Hermione's new lying position. "Mum taught it to me when I first hit puberty. I can teach it to you."

A sudden, deep ache filled her chest. Hermione silently nodded, turning her head away from Ginny, closing her eyes. Mum. How long had it been now? The unexpected pain rippled and tore, making her throat tight. The intensity of the ache surprised her- it felt like she'd been hit by a wave and sucked under. Why was it so bad? She focused on her breathing to keep the tears from welling in her eyes.

"Ginny, c'mere a second!" Percy called. "You're getting sunburn. Did you cast a blocking spell?"

Ginny sighed as she stood. "Damn it, I hate that spell. It's so cold. Coming, Perc!"

Hermione tried to focus on deep, slow breaths. Why was she so upset? Why did this have to hit her now? If she calmed down and focused, she could push the pain back in its box.

But the sound of the waves and laughter took her back to the last time she'd been at the beach. With them. Mom and Dad walking into the water, laughing with her. The ache dug painful claws deeper in her heart.

There was a shift next to her as someone laid down. Her eyes snapped open. Draco was dripping wet, and staring at her in open concern. "What's wrong?"

She slid a hand up to her throat and shook her head no, closing her eyes again. Today was supposed to be happy. This wasn't a time for tears or missing her parents. Right now, she had her friends, this beautiful beach, the ocean, Draco… that was enough. That was more than enough!

So why didn't it feel like enough? She felt incredibly selfish for wanting them back, for not being content with what she had. Letting them go had been the right thing to do. She knew it. She'd accepted it… but now that there was some sense of peace again, she wanted them back. Was it too soon to try? Would it be too dangerous? Could she even get them back again?

His cold hand touched her cheek and she jumped, unprepared for the touch. Brown eyes snapped to meet silver. "Try."

"...when's the last time you were here?" Hermione asked, barely speaking.

Draco blinked, eyebrows folding down in confusion. "I… think I was ten. Mum wanted to come here for a holiday. It was right before everything started. She refused to let this place be known outside the family, wanted to keep it safe. So we never came back once… once my Father saw the mark coming back." Draco fell silent for a moment before he spoke again. "What does that have to do with this thing in my chest?"

"I've never been to the beach with my boyfriend. Only my family." Hermione admitted, then closed her eyes tightly, refusing to cry. "...I miss them... I just wish they could be here, too."

Draco took her hand and squeezed gently. "I know, Granger…"

And with a start, she realized he really did. Narcissa and Lucius were both gone. Maybe not in the same way as her parents, but he really did get it. She laced her fingers with his, returning the soft pressure with her hand. His thumb lightly stroked as they sat there. The pain gradually diminished. She couldn't control what happened with her parents now. It wasn't safe yet. This was a wonderful break from the past several months, but it really wasn't the time to be thinking about searching for her family. Not right now.

"How about you come back in the water?" Draco asked with a small smile. "Maybe it'll help to kick back with your trio."

He let go of her hand, standing. She turned to lay on her back for a moment. Draco's eyes slowly, shamelessly, went down her body and back up, making her feel a little warm in the face. "You really are stunning, you know that?" Her held a hand out to her. She took it, and stood. Ginny joined them in the water, as well.

He was right. It did help to be in the middle of things, laughing with everyone. Ginny gave the board a try, and was just as brilliant as Ron. She urged Hermione to give it a go. Hermione personally felt that was a mistake, but her friend insisted. She flipped off the board and crashed into someone the moment that it tried to take off under her feet.

Ron was cracking up as he caught her and they both went under the water for a moment. He was coughing when they came back up, a completely amused grin on his face. "That was great! You've gotta try that again!" He put her back down on her feet in the water.

"Ronald, I flipped _off_ the board." Hermione tried to shove her wet hair from her face, coughing again. "Isn't the point to stay _on_?"

"Well yeah, but if you can't, knocking off it like that is great to see!" Ron reached out his hands and pushed her hair from her forehead. "Nobody else has managed a backflip! I had no idea you could do that with these boards!" For a moment, he paused with his hands on her face, as if he only just realized what he was doing. Ron tore his hands away as if he'd been burned, face reddening. "Er- right, I mean, if you want to try it again. Anyway, just bend your knees and keep yourself a little lower on the board."

Draco's eye didn't miss that. When Hermione turned, he was watching Ron with a carefully guarded expression. Her friend missed it, but she didn't. She gave him a quizzical look, but the silver head of hair shook his head no, turning away. Hermione brushed it off, deciding to let it go. Draco knew Ron had feelings for her. It would take time for him to get over that.

Everyone laughing in the waves made it way too easy to stay in the water for an hour or two. She was exhausted by the time they managed to trudge out of the water and return to the beach house. Molly declared that she was going to prepare food, and everyone had better head back inside to clean, change and get out of the sun. Truth be told, it looked like most of the Weasley's were sunburnt. Ginny and the twins began to debate how many new freckles they have by the end of the summer.

Hermione reached to pull Draco's hand in her down as they walked back, when Harry surprised her. "Draco- can I have a word?" Harry's green eyes have Hermione a look that clearly implied _alone._ She nodded and gave Draco a small smile before walking back to the beach house.

Ron fell into step beside her, lightly pushing his elbow against her arm as they walked. "We should do a fire tonight." He grinned at her, "Be a hell of a lot nicer on a beach than some damned forest, eh?"

Hermione smiled at him. "I think that'd be nice, Ron. Good idea."

Once everyone had showered and changed, Molly had served a delicious seafood chowder. Everyone gathered in the dining room chattering and getting drinks. They started in on the dinner without ceremony, everyone praising Molly's cooking. Hermione glanced at Draco as he sat down next to her. His eyes seemed brighter. "What was that about with Harry?"

He smiled as her and lifted a hand, resting his elbow on the table and twirling a familiar wand between his fingers. Hermione felt herself gasp. He was cleared of all charges. That meant he could have his wand back! She felt herself smile and leaned forward to peck him softly on the cheek. Fred made a teasing whooping sound. Draco turned to spat playfully at Fred, and the twin threw a bit of bread across the table at Draco's face.

Hermione blushed slightly and went back to her soup. Draco turned to spat playfully at Fred, and the twin threw a bit of bread across the table at Draco's face. She was lifting her spoon to her lips, pausing when she looked across the table to an empty chair. George was looking over his shoulder and up the staircase. Ron never walked out of a meal. She bit her lip, lowering her spoon. No one else seemed to notice. Maybe she needed to give Ron some space for now…

The meal continued and Ron returned halfway through, though he picked at his plate half-heartedly. George suggested Ron's idea of the fire and that appeared to cheer him up. Fred suggested a few drinks around the fire. That turned into a _lot_ of drinks around the fire, creations made by the twins. They wouldn't tell anyone what was in the cups they drank. Hermione didn't remember ever being this drunk.

Harry and Ginny took a stroll down the beach. Fred, Ron, Charlie, Bill and Percy began to sing a rowdy song- something she'd only heard once before at the World Cup. Draco joined in, surprising her. The song was foreign to her- something about witches and wizards and drinking and Quidditch- but the sound of everyone singing together was pleasant. She hiccuped slightly, feeling more than a little dizzy as she pressed her lips into Draco's, interrupting his song. He kissed her back, but barely. She frowned, pulling away. "Why-"

"You're drunk, Grandger-" Draco frowned, trying again but with no success. "Grangrr- okay, I'm a little drink, too-" he shook his head, "Drunk, too. Damn, what did them twins pour in this cup?" He be swirled it for a moment, debating on having more. "Don't like kissing drink. Drink. _Drunk._" He took another sip. "Fuck. Anyway, don't start that now." He returned back to the song with the rest of the Weasley's.

Hermione sighed, turning to stand and return to the beach house for the restroom- to discover Ron was stalking up the path to the beach house. His posture and speed told her that he was upset again. She frowned. That was the second time he had disappeared. Her legs stumbled to her feet.

Then she heard something. She'd never heard anything like it. Draco's voice? No. But was it his voice? It was almost a humming- but he was singing. What was that? Hermione paused, turning to look at Draco, swaying a little. "Excuse me?"

Draco stopped singing again, he raised an eyebrow at her as though something was wrong with her. "What are you on about?" He took a long swallow of whatever was in his cup.

"You said something." Hermione said back, feeling confused.

"No idea what you're talking about." Draco said with a slightly confused smirk, lowering his drink. "You hearing my voice in your head now?" His eyes flickered playfully, "What do you think I said? What do you _want_ me to say, Granger?"

She rolled her eyes, feeling herself smile and flush. He grinned, slightly wickedly up at her, his fingertips reaching her ankle and stroking lightly. Why the _hell_ did that feel good? She shied away from that touch, unprepared for the wave of heat in her body combined with the alcohol. Draco just gave her a promising look before turning back to the fire, joining in the song again.

Hermione walked up to the beach house, heart pounding slightly, still feeling a little off balance. She climbed the stairs to the restroom- when she saw Ron. He'd not gone far beyond the stairs once he had gone up. Now, he sat on the floor, his back to the wall, knees pulled up against his chest, staring blankly at the opposite wall. She mimicked his posture across from him. It took Ron a moment to acknowledge her. He silently nodded his head.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked quietly, trying to shake off the fog from her brain. What _had _Fred and George put in those drinks?

"Doesn't matter." Ron replied in a tense, somewhat slurred voice. "Go back."

"You never leave a plate full of food behind. You never step out on a brilliant idea of yours. And you did both tonight..." She argued back, forcing the words out cleanly. "Something's wrong and I know it. What's going on?"

Ron was silent a moment longer, starting to turn several different shades of red. She almost expected him to start yelling, at that range of colors, but his voice was very quiet when he finally spoke. His fists clenched against his thighs. "...'Mione, it's fucking hard to watch you kiss him." Ron said in a strained tone. "Just… go back to the beach."

A jolt of sadness caught her. Ron was running away because of that? How could they be friends if he couldn't stand to see them together? Logically, she knew he just needed time, but her drunk brain wanted to fix things now.

Hermione stood up, a little unsteadily, to move next to him. She knelt and lightly touched a hand on Ron's arm. He recoiled, standing and walking away a few steps, shaking his head no. "Don't… look, you can't help with this, Hermione. Just go away, alright?"

Ron started to walk further down the hall, but she followed him, quickly catching his arm. Her friend grit his teeth and yanked his arm away from her, stumbling slightly and knocking over something from a table in the hall. He cursed, fumbling for his wand. Hermione got there first, repairing the broken object. It had been some kind of lamp. She caught his arm to keep him there.

"Leave me alone!" Ron burst furiously, eyes flashing angrily at her. "I don't wanna do something stupid." He tried to stalk off again, but she stomped in front of him and pushed a finger in his chest, a hand on her hip, glaring.

"You listen here, Ronald-"

His hand caught hers on his chest, pulling her closer and suddenly Ron was kissing her! Hermione froze, a little too intoxicated to react quickly… but she _was _reacting! Kissing him back! She felt extremely confused. Ron's lips felt nice- but this wasn't right! How could it feel nice when it meant she was doing something wrong? Ron took her silence positively and wrapped an arm at her waist, pulling her against him. He smelled like the love potion she'd once identified in Slughorn's potion class. She wondered if it would smell differently, now. It wasn't until his tongue touched hers that she finally jerked away, stumbling sideways into the wall, a hand over her mouth in shock.

Ron didn't move at first. She stared as he went pink in the face, slowly turning to meet her eyes. They stood there for a long moment in that tense silence. That kiss made her remember. There _had_ been something between them. They _had_ been so close to being more than friends. Ron wasn't so thick that he couldn't read her confusion in the silence.

"Do you really want to be with that bloody ferret?" He breathed softly, moving to stand in front of her, reaching out a hand and lightly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers caught her hand over her mouth, lightly pulling it away, voice dropping and he leaned in to kiss her again. "Hermione… you and I… we were-"

She put her other hand lightly to his lips, stopping him, shaking her head no. "Don't do this, Ron. I already told you, I _want_ to be with Draco."

"Then why'd you kiss me back?" He muttered in to her fingers, pulling her hand slowly away from his mouth, his hand wrapping around hers gently. She was surprised that felt good, too. What an awful girlfriend she was being right now. How was this happening?

"I'm drunk, Ronald. That was a mistake." Hermione swallowed hard, feeling her stomach in knots. "I never should have followed you. This has gone too far. I- I want to go back to the beach."

"Back to _him_, more like." Ron grumbled, stepping away reluctantly, releasing her hand.

Anger burst in her chest. "Yes," she snapped, frowning at her friend. "We talked about all this, Ron. I told you what I wanted to do. Why are you being such a prat now?"

"That was before I really saw it!" His eyes flashed at her as he stepped closer, "I never thought it would be this hard to watch you love somebody else, Hermione!" And Ron was kissing her again, pushing her up into the wall, this time his tongue in her mouth and she was frozen. No. The thought was crystal clear- there was absolutely zero room for confusion.

No! She didn't want to hurt Ron, or Draco, by doing this. Hermione tried to push him away, but Ron didn't budge. She would absolutely not do this to Draco! That was the thought made her lift a hand up and slap him across the face. He let go. Her hand stung from the force of that slap. Hermione bit her lip, feeling tears well in her eyes as Ron slowly released her, stepping back. A bright red hand mark throbbed on his cheek. "I can't! Ron, I told you, I want to be with Draco. You and I, we-"

"I know. I told you I didn't want to do something stupid." Ron growled. "You should've hit me the first time… I'm drunk, too…" he stepped back, reaching for her cheek, but at the last moment, letting his hand fall to his side. "...gonna keep trying to kiss you tonight. Go back to your boyfriend." He paused, staring at her hand with the ring. Ron grit his teeth. "Husband." He shook his head. "Fuck…" Without another word, he turned and stomped off down the hall, down the stairs and back outside.

Hermione started to go as well, when she suddenly felt sick to her stomach. How could she tell Draco that Ron had just kissed her twice? And that she had kissed him back? She put both hands over her lips- still tingling from the touch of the wrong man. The tears slid down her face before she realized it and she darted into a bathroom, slamming the door, heaving up the contents of her stomach as she knelt by the toilet.

She turned to the tub, shaking slightly, resting her head against her arm. A sob caught in her throat. How could she and Ron stay friends if he felt that way? What would they do tomorrow, sober and remembering the way those kisses felt? How could she and Draco stay together if she enjoyed kissing someone else? Would he turn into that frightening version of himself she'd seen on the staircase? Was she going to lose both of them? Soon she was vomiting again, her throat burning painfully, her heart burning worse.

After several long minutes, the door opened and closed quietly. She heard the lock click Hermione was afraid to look up from her arm resting against the tub. A body slid down to the floor next to hers. "Never thought I'd see you this way," Ginny teased. Thank God it was Ginny! Familiar, friendly hands gently pulled her hair from her hot, sticky neck and twisted it gently up out of the way. "You could've just summoned a draft to ease the nausea, y'know."

A vial was pushed gently into her hand. Hermione muttered a soft thanks, drinking the contents, feeling the sensation of sickness fading. "Here," she handed her a leaf, "This will clear the taste of if your mouth."

She chewed it- she was right- and she was being so kind right now. Her throat felt tight. How would Ginny react when she told her? Would her friends hate her as much as she hated herself right now? Hermione swallowed hard as she turned, leaning her back against the tub. Tears streamed freely down her face. The teasing grin on Ginny's face vanished, replaced with sudden confusion. "Hermione? What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Ginny…" Hermione hiccuped through her sobs. "Ron kissed me."

"What?!" Ginny's eyes widened in shock. She cast a silencing charm on the room immediately and shook her head no. "That fucking idiot- he did _not_!"

"He- oh Ginny-" The tears came faster, "Ginny, I kissed him back." She couldn't breathe. "What do I do? What do I say to Draco? How did I let this happen?" Hermione covered her face with both hands, making herself as small as possible, feeling a terrible weight of guilt in the pit of her stomach. Or was that the alcohol? Or both?

Ginny wrapped her arms around Hermione, "He's gonna be pissed, that's for sure. I wouldn't tell him while he's drunk. Draco might kill Ron for that."

Hermione shook her head no, making herself even smaller, "How do I tell him? What do I say?"

"Look, you need to sober up and sleep before you do anything," Ginny said seriously. "You can't talk to him like this. I'm taking you home. I'll just go tell Mum you drank too much and we'll be out of here. Stay put, I'll be right back." Ginny stood, grumbling, "Fucking idiot, Ron, why do you _always_ have to be so bloody _stupid_?!"


	20. Chapter 20: Confession

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Chapter 20: Confession

Hermione didn't want to open her eyes. That meant she'd have to face the reality of the morning, and face Draco. There was no way she could keep from telling him what had happened. She had several nightmares about his reaction last night. None of them were promising. The worst nightmare had been their bond shattering. The phantom pain from that had been the final dream to wake her.

Ginny insisted that it had all been Ron's fault, but Hermione couldn't believe her. She'd expected them to fight, wanted that, even, to snap him out of it. Yelling at each other usually made it happen. He'd gone so red, she thought they were about to have a go at each other like the night of the Yule Ball. So, she had followed him, pushed him, but instead of a yelling match, it had been kissing instead. Hermione hadn't expected that.

Now that she was sober, the kisses felt pale in comparison to what she felt when Draco's lips touched her. Yes, she and Ron had been working towards that kind of relationship… but it didn't matter, not anymore. She'd meant it, whenever she'd said she wanted to be with Draco. It was almost as if acknowledging those emotions for Ron, kissing him, finally made her let go of those old feelings. There was nothing left to burn there, now. That first kiss had made her remember. The second one had made her decide. She hadn't chosen Ron. She didn't want him. Granted, she hadn't exactly chosen Draco at first… but she truly _wanted_ him now... But, would Draco understand that when she tried to explain?

Her eyes opened to stare at the ceiling. It was barely dawn. She dressed, pulling her messy hair over her shoulder and trying to work out some of the tangles with her fingers as she tiptoed down the stairs. Circling through the garden gave her feet something to do while she tried to think about how to handle this. It was cooler this early in the morning, and the dew soon soaked through her trainers. She was so lost in thought that it took her awhile to realize she wasn't alone.

Draco sat under a bench at the back of the garden, arms crossed over his chest, leaning back, feet stretched out in front of him. She froze at the sight of him. Why was he up this early? Why hadn't he said anything? How long had he been watching her pace this way? Her face must've been showing something was wrong. He met her eyes when she finally saw him. His expression was calm, maybe a little tense. Draco nodded his head at the bench next to him. Slowly, her feet took her there.

"Why are you awake?" Hermione asked quietly, feeling her heart in her throat already.

"...bad dreams." Draco replied simply as she sat down. "Gave up hours ago. Why are you up this early?"

"Same." She said quietly. They fell silent. It was tense, she knew it, and he must've felt it.

"Feeling better?" He asked quietly, shattering the silence.

Hermione didn't respond. She clenched her hands in her lap, closing her eyes while taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. "Not really… I have to tell you something."

"...alright." his tone was unreadable. Hermione opened her eyes to turn to him, and found he was watching her face. He uncrossed his arms and reached out a hand for hers. She raised a hand gently in a stopping motion and he paused, bringing his arm back and crossing them over his chest again. Draco's eyebrows creased slightly, now. "You're acting strange, Granger. Just spit it out."

Hermione swallowed hard, forcing her mouth to move. "...Last night, when I went in the beach house, I saw Ron sitting on the floor. He said it was hard to watch us kiss, and wanted me to leave him alone… but I tried to make him talk to me." Draco's hands tightened slightly on his arms. "He… he kissed me…" Draco closed his eyes. "...and at first, I kissed him back." His jaw clenched and she saw him flinch. "Then I stopped it. He kissed me again. I hit him the second time. I… I don't know how it happened. I'm sorry."

Draco's legs drew back, feet flat on the ground. His arms uncrossed and fists unclenched as both palms pressed flat against his thighs. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, not looking at her as he slowly opened his eyes. For several moments, there was nothing but that boiling and freezing silence. She could feel blood throbbing in her ears as she sat there, trying to prepare herself for his shouting. Her hands were sweating in their fists. He took a slow breath and she winced in anticipation of his yell.

That never came. His tone was cool and quiet as he spoke. "...why didn't you tell me this last night?"

"I did get sick." Hermione confessed in a small voice. "Ginny found me, said I couldn't tell you when you were drunk, and that I was in no state. I couldn't stop crying." She clasped her sweaty hands together tightly in front of her, staring at them, feeling sick again. "...I regret it. I'm so, so sorry Draco."

Of all the reactions she had dreamt, this one might've been the worst. Coldness seeped between them. She couldn't tell if he was about to explode, or calmly tell her they were going to the ministry to sign divorce papers. Draco stood, taking a few steps away. Hermione stood and automatically moved to follow when he paused.

"...you need to learn how to let people walk away when they need some space." Draco said quietly, coldly, his back to her. His hands curled in to fists at his sides and he shook his head. "That never would have happened last night, if you had just let him go."

Hermione felt tears welling in her eyes. She blinked rapidly to get them back. Why couldn't she do that so easily? Why did she have to chase them down? She was sure she hadn't been like this in school. What had changed? The realization made her chest tighten.

Her parents had walked away. She'd watched it happen- let it happen- and it had ripped out her heart. Ron had walked away, once, and he'd shattered something between them by doing that. Granted, he had come back… but she knew something between them had been silently destroyed that night. Watching Harry walk off to the forest, with Draco holding her back, had broken her heart. Then, the Ministry had tried to take Draco, the pain had been unbearable. When Ginny had convinced her not to let it happen- and it had _worked.._. Well, that had been the last time she'd wanted to let anyone go like that. Her parents, Ron, Harry, Draco- it didn't matter who! She couldn't let any of them just walk away from her without a proper fight. Draco started to go again. She forced her feet to stay still, but she couldn't stop her mouth.

"Please don't walk away." Hermione pleaded. The tears finally broke. She bowed her head, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "...Draco, fight, yell at me, but don't do _this_."

Draco snarled icily, turning towards her. "I don't want to fight with you when I'm this-" He tensed. "Damn it, Hermione!" She squeezed her eyes shut, turning away from him. "It's not bloody fair when you start crying!" His feet stepped in front of her, and she felt his hands hold her cheeks, thumbs push away the tears.

"Look at me." He turned her face up to his. Hermione met his eyes with difficulty. "I'll come back when I'm bloody ready." Draco snapped irritably. It looked like a vein was pulsing in his temple. "Right now, I'm going to the beach house to clear my head. Don't follow me this time, got it?"

She nodded silently, tearing her eyes away from his and trying to step back. Draco surprised her suddenly when he stepped forward to follow her, lifting her face to his. He kissed her- almost harshly on the mouth, pulling her body against his painfully tight. Her arms were pinned against his chest. His teeth bit at her lip a little too hard- it hurt- this felt a little out of control. Something slipped through their connection- something hot, searing hot, burned against her lips and tongue. She whimpered slightly in pain against his mouth, but the sensation vanished as quickly as it had come.

When he pulled away, he pressed his forehead against hers for a moment, his voice was far less cold, more raw than anything else. "You're _my_ wife, that's _my_ ring on your hand, and I _don't_ plan to share." His hands found hers and squeezed her fingers, voice dropping to a growl. "Remember that."

Those hands released her, silver eyes burning into her intensely. He took a few steps away before putting both hands in his pockets and vanishing. Her arms slid down along his chest as he moved, her body still trying to process that touch.

Hermione sucked in her lip where he'd bit her after he'd gone, soothing the sore spot with her tongue. The fact that he had told her he'd come back when he was ready was a little comforting. That rough kiss, the fact that he'd still touch her, was even more so. Their connection didn't appear to have shattered, like in her nightmare. Some of the dread loosened in her chest. Okay, then, they were going to have to fight it out later. She'd taken all night to try to sort out her brain, and Draco hadn't come to bother her. Giving him time to do the same wasn't unreasonable.

Besides, she wasn't sure what else she could do, than be honest and apologize. It was up to him to forgive her… or not. Her arms crossed over her chest as that thought made her throat tighten again. Two anxious feet resumed her pacing around the garden.

Later, she'd have to talk to Ron. Tell him that she would never do that, ever again. That conversation proved to be much more difficult. Ron disappeared from the house without anyone knowing where he'd gone. Running away from reconciliation… that sounded very familiar with her friend.

She and Ginny kept themselves busy helping with weekly chores around the house. Molly didn't appreciate Ron and Draco both vanishing on chore day, but she didn't press anyone to know where they had gone. Harry had been called out to the Ministry for something, so it was Ginny and most of her brothers helping today.

The majority of the work was done late in the afternoon. Exhausted, the two of them made their way up to Ginny's room and flopped on the bed. Molly sent some butterbeer up after them. Hermione drank gratefully, thunking her head back against the wall behind her with a sigh.

Now she finally had the chance to tell Ginny what had happened with Draco earlier that morning. She even confided about her problem of letting people walk away from her. Ginny didn't say anything at first, swirling her drink around in its bottle. "...you could've left out the part about kissing him back, y'know."

"I didn't want to lie." Hermione said softly.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Little white lies are usually good things, 'Mione. What would hurt worse to hear- he kissed you, or you kissed him?"

She winced. Well… maybe Ginny had a point, but it was too late now. Her head was starting to hurt a little behind her eyes from the past night. Being drunk, getting sick, dealing with a guilty conscience, having nightmares, and most of all telling Draco what had happened made for a stressful day.

Hours later, she found herself sitting on the couch in the living room with a book, waiting for Draco to come home. She must've dozed off. The next thing she knew, someone sat next to her and the book she'd been reading was pulled out of her hands gently.

Hermuone rubbed her face sleepily, stretching and yawning as she sat up. Her eyes widened in surprise. Draco had a dark, nasty bruise forming over his eye!

"What happened?!" She gasped, reaching for her wand and to heal the bruise.

He gave a tight smile. "The weasel came out and picked a fight. Told me what he'd done, and started going on about how I had bloody well fucked everything up for you two, how he'd fucked everything up for us two… among other things." Draco winced slightly as she pushed his hair from his forehead to reach a scar just under his bangs. "We had it out."

Her heart froze in her chest. What did that mean? Would he have been angry enough to seriously hurt Ron? By the sight of these injuries, she guessed yes. She dropped her wand, both hands covering her mouth in shock. "Draco, where's Ron?"

"I didn't kill him, he's here. There's a truce set, for now." Draco didn't look entirely pleased about that but he continued. "Went up to his room. That ones not looking too pretty, either." His eyes narrowed as he reached out to her lip, smoothing the place he'd bitten a bit too hard earlier. It was a little swollen and tender. Draco reached for her fallen wand and took it in his hand. "He won't be trying to kiss you again, though. I've made _sure_ of that."

Hermione sighed in relief at that, then went still as Draco pressed the wand to her lip and began to sing the healing song. His thumb reached out to brush her lip. Again, like it had that first time, every time, a heat coiled in her stomach at the touch.

Ignoring that, she took her wand back. She scanned him quickly for other injuries. Draco had several marks on his clothes that told her the two of them had been dueling and clobbering each other. She lifted her wand again to heal some of the marks she could see, but her hand started shaking as her thoughts went to overdrive. The wand wasn't steady in her grasp.

They'd gone at each other, and it was her fault. Each one had a hot headed temper, and harbored some intense dislike of the other. Left alone, with last night on their brains, and one could have been killed while the other got locked up in Azkaban. Entirely because she couldn't let well enough be! She tightened her hold on the wand, trying to mask the shake. That made it worse.

His eyebrows creased together in concern when he saw that. Draco's hand caught her wrist, pulling her wand hand down gently. Hermione tore her eyes away from his, biting her lip. Draco's next words caught her off guard. "I think that humming is some kind of warning… Plus, you hit him once for me. We're good, Granger."

Her eyes widened in shock. How could he know about the humming she'd heard? They hadn't talked about it yet! She caught his eyes again, then realized what that look on his face meant. She shook her head slowly in disbelief, running both hands through her hair. "No… no! You… you _saw_ this in a Dream?" Draco silently nodded. "When?!"

"A few days ago, honestly, but it was blurry. I had hoped it was nothing." Draco said quietly, leaning an arm against the back of the couch and resting his head in his hand. "But today I fell asleep at the beach house and saw it all through your eyes... crystal clear."

Hermione shook her head no as she frowned at him, hands falling to her lap. "Why didn't you say anything?

"I thought it was just a nightmare. Besides, if I didn't let it happen now, it would've happened sooner or later. I saw a few possibilities, but you don't need to be a Seer to know. The way he looks at you sometimes..." His voice dropped to a growl as his eyes darkened. "Believe me, I don't enjoy the reality of you kissing somebody else, but if it had to happen, I'd rather it be now." His hand in his lap clenched to a fist. "Feelings don't just die, Hermione, they have to be killed. You rejected him hard, this time. Point blank told him you made a choice. That'll make a difference now. You were too nice to him the first time."

Hermione felt her breath catch. She held her hands together tightly in her lap, exhaling slowly as she turned away from him. "How can you want to be with me, after I did this?"

Draco took his arm from the couch and slid it around her shoulder. "Alcohol can make people do stupid things... and you're not the first girl I've been with to kiss another guy when she's had too many." Draco gently pressed his lips to the side of her head. "But… you _are_ the first one to come tell me, without being forced into it… and the first one to say no to the other guy…"

She closed her eyes, bowing her head in shame. "Is this why you didn't want to kiss me on the beach? Did you know what was going to happen?"

"I don't like kissing drunk, that was true. And I didn't entirely know. I knew it was possible." Draco admitted calmly. "I didn't want to risk keeping you there or getting in the way. Besides… it would've hurt a hell of a lot more, later."

She was disappointed in herself, and more than confused at his calmness about this. Her palms pressed against her eyes, trying to push the tears back in, so they wouldn't start falling. "...do you hate me?"

Draco laughed, surprising her. She felt his arm tighten around her, pulling her closer. "Seriously? Granger- after all the shit I put you through?! You messed up _once_. That's it- and you were painfully honest about it… how could I hate you for that?"

Hermione didn't respond, feeling the tears sliding down her cheeks. She pushed her hands harder against her eyes, trying to stop. He ran his hand lightly along her back. "C'mon witch… you already apologized. Stop…"

Was she still asleep? Could this be a dream? Why was he being so understanding? She shook her head no. "How can you let this go so easily?"

"What else can I do?" Draco was silent for a moment. He tightened his arm around her. "Look...do you regret it?" Draco asked quietly. She nodded. "Did you hit him because you were thinking about me?" She nodded again. "...will you promise not to do it again?"

"I swear," she whispered, chancing a glance at him.

Draco nodded. He squeezed her shoulder, she felt his lips on her temple. "Then that's all, Hermione. Can't undo it. Now stop crying."

The tears slipped down again when he told her to stop. Would she have reacted this kindly, if Draco had kissed another woman? Hermione wasn't sure. She imagined not. She rubbed at her eyes, forcing them to dry. "I-I expected you to yell at me."

"I yelled at Ron." Draco replied with a dark chuckle, "That was a hell of a lot more satisfying than yelling at you, let me tell you." He paused for a moment, then continued on, hesitantly. "I have to ask, though… why _are_ you picking me, over him? That kiss should've told you… it could've worked between you two."

"...I want to keep you." Hermione replied simply, honestly, turning her head to look at him. "I want to be with you, Draco. Why do you keep telling me I could be with other people?"

"Because you could be." He looked a little withdrawn, now, avoiding her gaze. "You're choosing to stay with me, but I just don't get why…" he took her hand in his, lacing their fingers, thumb stroking her hand lightly. "This really isn't the easiest path for you. I can be a right prick when I feel like it."

"Well, why do you want to be with me?" Hermione asked, reversing the question. "You absolutely hated me at Hogwarts, didn't you?"

Draco tensed, frowning at her. "Don't you do that, I asked you first."

"I told you, I want to keep you, I want to be with you. Why isn't that enough of an answer?" There was more truth to be said, she realized, with a strange lurch in her stomach. Her gaze fell to their hands as her mind suddenly wheeled around in her skull.

Hermione admired the way his family looked out for each other. The fact he'd managed to outwit dark wizards in his own home for years told her he was extremely clever. She respected the way Draco had tried to shield her, and so many others, from the pain of being tortured. Their connection, that beautiful image Narcissa had drawn, flashed in her mind. She enjoyed the bite that came with his personality, the wickedness that snaked its way out occasionally. That teasing grin, his playful hands, the way his lips felt on hers… the recollection of his blood soaking her hands, when she'd thought she'd lost him… Hogwarts, when he'd almost been taken from her… the way that kiss had melted into something different that day… her heart hammered in her chest and she exhaled shakily. There was more truth behind her wanting him, and wanting to be with him.

And she would not shy away from honesty.

"...what would you say," Hermione asked quietly, looking up to meet his eyes. "If I told you, I might be falling in love with you?"

She saw his breath catch, eyes widen, face turn slightly pink. His fingers tightened against hers, and his shoulders seemed to soften. The tension she'd felt growing in him vanished. A sly smirk caught his lips. Damn him, had he known she'd say this, too? She felt a flush creeping up her face.

"Might be, hmm?" He leaned forward to nibble her neck softly, the arm around her shoulders sliding away as his hand slid down her body to her lower back.

Hermione gasped as he bit her a few times. He moved to her ear, his lips there made her shiver. "Only a might?" He purred softly, lips teasing the gentle flesh.

"...have." She breathed softly. "_Have_ fallen in love with you."

Draco paused. He slowly pulled away from her body, reading her face and eyes. "...say that again."

"I have fallen in love with you." Hermione spoke honestly, the admission making her feel very exposed. She squeezed his hand nervously. Her body turned to face him straight on. His hand on her back fell to rest on her knee. "...why do you want to be with me, Draco?"

"I want to keep you," he teased with a smirk, repeating her words from earlier while leaning into kiss her neck again, making her shiver. She was about to argue with him about how that hadn't been good enough when she'd said it, when he kept talking.

"I want to be with you." Draco kissed her cheek softly. "...I love you, Hermione." He kissed her forehead. She closed her eyes at that touch, squeezing his hand softly. He pressed his forehead against hers lightly.

That wasn't enough right now. She took his cheek in her hand, kissing him hard on the mouth. Draco softened the kiss, keeping it short to maneuver her into his lap. As he began to undo the buttons of his shirt, her face flushed red.

"We're in the middle of the living room." She objected softly, pushing his hand away as he reached for the edge of her shirt. Draco raised an eyebrow at her with that, but he did reach into his pocket for his wand, summoning hers with it before departing from the Weasley's living room to the beach house couch.

He put both their wands on the side table before reaching his hands under the edge of her shirt, thumbs stroking her sides softly. She blushed darker. "...we're _still_ in the middle of a living room."

"If I take you upstairs right now…" Draco dug his fingers into her slightly, rocking his hips against hers warningly. That felt good, and made her stomach tighten pleasantly. Then he was sliding her shirt up, lips dancing on her ribcage, whispering a question against her skin. "...do you _want_ to go up there with me?"

She did. Heart fluttering in her chest, throat, stomach and lower- his mouth was setting her body on fire. She really, honestly _did_! Soon, she was pinned underneath him on the couch, one hand pressed against his bare chest, the other scratching along under the back of his shirt. He nearly kissed the sense from her brain.

His fingertips danced along her throat. God's, why did she like that so much? His voice was serious this time. "Yes or no?"

"Not tonight." She managed to say. That was hard. She wanted him, now, but Ginny hadn't taught her the spells yet. Plus, she should probably decide something like this when her head was a little less clouded by his touch.

"Okay. You'll have to put up with the living room, then." The declination didn't appear to bother him at all. His lips were soon toying with her neck again, with his fingers tracing down her throat and to her clothed chest. A soft sound caught in her throat as his fingers pinched at her breasts pleasantly. "Do you want me to stop, or is this okay?"

"This is very good." She ran a hand out of the back of his shirt, up along the back of his neck into his hair, nails sliding along his scalp. He shuddered. "I want this."

Draco's breathing hitched as she sat up to slide her tongue along his neck while running her nails along his scalp again. This time when he shuddered, his fingers tightened into fists and he cursed softly under his breath. Hermione pushed him up, making him switch places with her. She straddled him and pushed his back to the couch.

Shirt undone, hair untidy, flushed, face taught with pleasure, eyes meeting hers with that heated, promising glint- she liked that look on him. Hermione barely ran one hand up his bare chest, watching him shiver at the gentle touch.

His eyes fluttered closed as she ran a hand through his hair again, and began kissing along his neck. He groaned, pressing his hips up into hers, turning his head away to give her a better angle. She slid her other hand down along his chest and stomach, pausing to undo the top button of his jeans. He jumped in surprise, eyes snapping open and head turning back to hers quickly. His hand shot out and caught hers tightly.

"That might be a bad idea…" Draco muttered, pressing his lips to her cheek.

"Then that's the limit for tonight. Let go." Hermione said softly as she kissed his cheek playfully, pressing both their hands against his hard groin. He flinched and exhaled reflexively, sharp and hard, biting his lip. That was a fun reaction. She did it again, a little more insistently, kissing him at the same time. His head rolled back, breaking the kiss, and his breathing quickened.

"Oh, _Merlin_..." Draco whispered, turning back to her lips as his hand let go of hers, and she continued with what she'd been doing.


	21. Chapter 21: Answers

Chapter 21: Answers

Hermione gave Draco a shy smile that morning when she met him on the staircase. He took one quick moment to make sure they were alone before giving her a rare, unguarded smile that made her heart skip slightly. Then, he had lightly caught her arm in his hand while he kissed her cheek. His palm slid down until his thumb could lightly stroke the inside of her wrist. She shivered. Draco chuckled softly and smirked at her before he let go, continuing back up the stairs to his room.

Part of her still didn't believe that she'd worked up the nerve to touch him. That smile of his told her that he was happy about it, though! Last night, Draco had not expected her to make him shake, the way he'd made her shake that night in the woods. He'd been speechless afterwards, and she had throughly enjoyed how flustered he'd been.

The bond made it very interesting, he had been right about that. Hermione hadn't expected the sensations she felt in her body while he… she recalled the way his body shook when he fell over the edge and a blush began to invade her cheeks. Even recalling that moment made her insides twist pleasantly. It was hard to describe what she had felt- it was almost falling, and almost flying- an intense weightlessness that had taken her breath away. She'd never felt anything quite like it.

He'd wanted to keep her close, after that, and had only taken her back to the house when she insisted Ginny would come looking for them if they didn't go home. Draco hadn't relented easily. While he playfully argued with her, she noticed how his hands caressed her hair, fingers combing through it. He'd never felt that relaxed. She'd let herself nearly be lulled to sleep by those hands.

Hermione smiled to herself as she continued down the stairs, reclaiming the book she'd left last night. She yawned as she turned back to the staircase. They had gotten back so early in the nothing, that she had barely slept. Hermione felt her face growing hot as she recalled Ginny's reaction to that fun fact.

Ginny had been awake, sitting up in bed and impatiently waiting for her to come home. Hermione had gone scarlet when her friend casually mentioned that they should probably take something like that out of the living room. Then, Ginny proceeded to giggle as she taught Hermione a couple of important spells. Now, she could decide what she wanted. However, now that her mind wasn't clouded, she felt a little unsure. There was no need to rush. Draco surprised her with the ease he accepted her boundaries. She'd truly expected him to push, especially with all his warnings that he would start to take things too far. So far, however, he had nothing to worry about.

Hermione opened her bedroom door, book in hand, thoughts about her silver haired husband continuing- no! No! Boyfriend! She hugged the book to her chest, biting her lip. He was right about the bond with that, too. Her mind wanted to claim him as more than her boyfriend, it was natural, easy- but everytime she _thought_ about it, or realized what her brain was doing, she felt a jolt of shock through her system.

Something had shifted in their connection again, and it was very good. She couldn't put her finger on what it was, but it was comforting. Draco accepting her apology had floored her. That hadn't been the way she thought things would go… but she was grateful for it.

Hermione sat back down on her bed, placing the book on her desk, exhaling softly as her mind started to wander to the large stack of books she needed to return to Mrs. Weasley. Reading the marriage books no longer provided new information. She understood what was going on now, and there didn't appear to be any more surprises. Well, at least nothing she could find written down!

She sat back on her bed, tucking her knees up and wrapping her arms around them as her mind wandered off. Hermione bit her lip as she realized something. Her mind never wandered like this. Focus came easily for her- this only happened when she was restless. That was unexpected. Why? The thought circled in her mind.

Gradually, the answer came to her. There was no project lined up for her. That should be easy enough to fix. Hermione wanted to help with rebuilding Hogwarts. She'd have to write McGonagall and convince the Professor that it was safe for her to be there! But what if she said no? Forcing her way on the school grounds was impossible, not to mention that Hogwarts would be repaired before the start of term at the rate things were going. What then? Should she go back to Hogwarts for her final year? Take a tour of the world trip? Her parents had been planning on doing that with her. She frowned. That was going to make her sad- she needed to think about something else.

What about working at the Ministry? Kingsley must've been in need of people he could trust, and she could make a difference there. Maybe it was time to submit papers for an interview. Or maybe she just needed to mention her desire to help to Arthur Wealsey's- no doubt he could help her find a place where she could be useful.

Thinking of that family took her mind back to Ron. They still hadn't talked yet. Hermione thunked her head on her knees, sighing. It wasn't possible to pretend none of that happened, especially not after those two boys had fought. She had to address it. That wasn't going to be easy. Ron was doing his damnedest to avoid her. He could do that for weeks with decent success, she knew. It would likely be at least a week before an opportunity to talk to him presented itself.

Hermione was so lost in thought that she didn't hear the door open. Her head jerked upwards as someone sat on the edge of her bed.

So much for waiting weeks! "Ron…" Hermione sat up straight, slightly stunned.

Red hair, blue eyes, freckles- she blinked several times. It was him. No doubt about that! But this was wrong. Ron _never_ came to her first. He had not come to Ginny's room one time since she'd been sleeping there. What was he thinking? Why was he here? Something in her gut told her it couldn't be good.

And she was right.

"Hermione," Ron began quietly, one hand flicking the deluminator open and closed as he spoke. He always seemed to have that thing with him now. "Look," he held the object tightly in one hand, meeting her eyes. "I wanted to tell you this before you heard it from everyone else."

Everyone else? She frowned internally, remaining passive on the outside as she sat up to straighten her legs, keeping one knee bent and holding her shin. Why was she the last to know something? The room fell silent with the tension he brought with him. Ron started to fiddle with the deluminator again. Hermione tried to speak lightly, "Okay… what do you want to tell me?"

"I got accepted into a Quidditch training program." Ron blurted out quickly, clenching both fists and going red in the face. "It starts next week."

Hermione gasped and then she grinned, "Ron, that's wonderful news!" She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, scooching over to give him a hug. "Congratulations!" Her embrace was answered with a tense, quick wrap of the arms and release. She tried to ignore the awkwardness as she let go of him. "You'll have to tell us all about it when you get time off."

Ron grinned, obviously pleased with himself and her reaction, but there was something more, she could see it. "I'll be sure to send owls to you and Harry at least once a month."

"Owls?" Hermione felt her smile fade slightly. "Ron, where are you going?"

"...I'm moving in with Charlie for a bit, out in Romania." Ron said quietly, tearing his eyes away from hers to examine the floor, looking intrigued by a bit of carpet.

"Oh…" Hermione said softly, following his gaze to the floor.

They fell silent again. The tension thickened between them, and she knew the truth. Ron was running away. Away from her and Draco, away from figuring out how to manage his emotions. A sudden suspicion struck her- and anger began to bubble in her stomach.

"How long have you been thinking about this?" Hermione felt blood thundering in her ears as he answered.

Ron frowned, looking a little confused for a moment- then his face went blank. She felt a jolt in her stomach. _He's been confunded! _His expression smoothed. "I applied to programs all over, but I was waiting to make any choices until…" Ron's expression blanked again. He frowned as he spoke again. "I… I can't remember why I was waiting."

_You were probably waiting for me._ Hermione's anger boiled in her chest at a particular snake she was going to throttle- alongside a rush of sadness for Ron. "That's okay, Ron, I'm happy for you!" _Even if you didn't make that choice alone._ "It'll be great for you to spend some time with Charlie, again."

Ron's eyes lit up as he met hers again. "I know! And apparently Hagrid is gonna meet us out there so we can see the dragons before my training starts!"

Hermione watched Ron take his leave after discussing the program, and his plans for a while longer. It was the best confundus charm work she had ever seen- and the most organized plan Ron had ever spoken in his entire life.

After he had gone to the stairs to his room, she marched straight to Draco's room, entering without knocking, and firmly shutting the door, casting a silencing charm.

Draco was sitting at a writing desk, and he looked up at her entrance, one hand in his hair, the other tapping the feather of his quill against his neck. There was a calendar floating nearby, and a well organized, color coded file open next to him, with many papers hidden from sight. The filing system threw her for a moment. She had never actually seen him work or study, she suddenly realized. Color organization? Filing system? Her curiosity took a dip into his study habits and she had to force herself to focus before it distracted her for a moment longer. Draco frowned as he sat up straight, flicking his wand at all the papers, they disappeared, along with the desk. As he stood, the chair vanished as well.

"What's with the face, Granger?" Draco stretched his arms above his head before putting his hands in his pockets as he walked over to her. She crossed her arms over her chest, frowning deeper at him.

"The other night… you said, 'He won't be trying to kiss you again, though. I've made _sure_ of that.' And now..." She grit her teeth quietly, throwing out her accusation. "...you confounded him, didn't you?"

"Excuse me?" he snarled. His eyes darkened angrily, body tensing. "That Weasel doesn't need _any_ help from me for that," he growled, his shoulders tensing. "Are you telling me he tried to come at you, _again_?"

This was not what she expected. Hermione felt her frown fade just slightly, replaced with a creased forehead. Was Draco playing dumb? "What? No, he didn't!" She bit her lip slightly, now slightly unsure of her conclusion. "...how did you make sure Ron wouldn't be trying to kiss me again?"

"I didn't cast a confundus charm on him." Draco suddenly went slightly pink for a moment, surprising her. His hands tensed in his pockets, "...how I did it, that's none of your business. It's solved."

Hermione was surprised at his blush. She had expected him to be angry for accusing him of confounding someone. This wasn't anger. He looked embarrassed! "Tell me."

Draco's face became confused for a moment, then went blank. Another jolt in her gut. _He's been confunded, too!_

"I may have told the git that I cared about you a little more honestly than I meant to." Draco said quietly when the blank spell faded, still pink in the face, but holding her gaze steadily.

Hermione stepped into him and kissed his cheek softly. Draco looked at her in surprise as he met her eyes again. His forehead creased slightly and the corner of his mouth pulled down into a frown. "...everything okay? You're acting a bit off."

"I just needed to know the truth," Hermione said softly, feeling somewhat ashamed for jumping to conclusions too quickly. "...I'm sorry I accused you of confounding Ron."

Draco chuckled again- this time, somewhat coolly. "Like I said, he doesn't need my help. Although…" She felt his arms wrap around her. He kissed the top of her hair, smoothing it lightly. "If he is stupid enough to make a move on you again," he muttered into her hair, "I can't guarantee I won't transfigure him into a weasel. See how much _he_ bloody well likes it." Hermione couldn't help but smile, hiding it against him as her arms came around his chest. They stayed like that for a long moment. She closed her eyes, relaxing into his embrace.

After she'd apologized for interrupting his work, she shut the door and went hunting for the only other person she could imagine being involved in this mess. Ron and Draco both confunded? There was only one person she could imagine making that happen.

"Harry James Potter." Hermione put her hands on her hips, glaring at him. Harry was sitting outside at the picnic table, a file open from the Ministry in front of him. He looked up sharply at her tone- and she saw the guilt. "How could you do it?" She snapped. "How did you manage to do it to both of them?"

Harry closed the file, swallowing hard and sitting up. "Look, Hermione, you didn't see the way they were going at it that night. I thought they were gonna end up killing each other!"

"So forcing them both with a confundus charm was the way you decided to handle it? You could've stunned them! You could've called for help." She huffed angrily, glaring at him. "Those decisions weren't you're to make!"

"You don't get it!" Harry groaned, holding his face in his hands. "I'm not looking forward to losing one of my best mates to Romania for a year, Hermione- and Draco staying here instead- but it's the best I could do that night!" He ran his hands down his face. "I just wanted them to stay alive, and keep some peace. I'm so _tired_ of all this fighting."

Harry looked it, too. Hermione hadn't spent much time with Harry recently. He had been running around madly- at Hogwarts, with the Ministry, social calls, hospital visits with friends and survivors, training for the Auror Department, and much more- and it was clearly all taking its toll. There were dark circles under his eyes, he was too pale, and had a mug full of pepper up potion at his elbow as if it were coffee.

She bit her lip, anger softening as she really looked at her best friend for the first time in too long. After a moment, her hands fell to her sides. She slowly sat down at the picnic table next to him, putting a hand on his arm. "You should've told me." Hermione said quietly, squeezing his arm gently.

"I know…" Harry put a hand on top of hers and squeezed back. "I'm sorry." He looked it too. Those green eyes met hers and pleaded for her to understand. "When they started really going at each other, I just… I snapped, Hermione. I tied them both to a tree and told them it was time to move on- but I got there just after Ron forced Draco to drink veritaserum. Ron made Draco tell us _everything_."

Hermione's heart hammered slightly in her chest. Her mouth went dry and she paled. "...Ron… Ron did _what_?!"

Harry held a hand up. "I know. I know! I've never seen Ron that far gone. He used Imperio to force him to drink it, and then started interrogating Draco while they beat the snot out of each other. I've _never _seen either of them lose it like that."

She felt her jaw drop. Ron had used Imperio? Draco had lost it? Hermione closed it quickly with a shake off her head. "No way!"

"Yes way," Harry ran a hand down his face again, going slightly red. "Look, I didn't tell you because that was a hell of a lot more information than any of us expected! I thought it would embarrass you to know that we knew all the details." Her friend moved on quickly. "I… I didn't _want_ to know all that, either." Harry let his hand fall to the table. "...Ron wouldn't back off until Draco was viciously honest. And the whole time, I thought Draco was gonna rip Ron's eyes out... it wasn't pretty."

Hermione stared at him, shaking her head no slowly, trying to understand. Harry had managed to get them both out of there… but it didn't make sense. "...why the confundus charm?"

"Afterwards was _incredibly_ awkward." Harry admitted quietly, then he laughed tensely. "What are you supposed to say when a man you thought you hated talks like _that_? And about your best mate? When I've got both of them tied to a tree and no one knows what to say?"

Hermine felt herself flush the darkest red she had ever felt. She covered her face with both hands, Harry's hand sliding off her arm. What in the world had Draco said? She probably didn't want to know. She took several deep breaths before squeaking out another question, managing to fold her hands under her chin. "So… you confounded them to make them forget what Draco said?"

"Ron said he really didn't want to know all those details." Harry continued, ticking one finger in front of his face, "Draco didn't want to remember spilling his guts." He tucked a second finger then pointed them sat his chest. "I'm bloody awful with memory charms, but I got the hang of confundus pretty well in the past year. I tweaked things, and got them both home, alive, and at least at a truce." Harry sighed heavily, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "It was a _rough _night, Hermione."

"But why make Ron want to go to Romania?" Hermione pressed on, trying to understand it all. "Why give him such a detailed plan- and how did you manage to cook that up on the spot?"

"I didn't." Harry took a sip of his pepper up potion. Then, he leaned forward, propping one elbow on the table. He removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "It was Charlie's plan. We've been talking about it, trying to convince him to go." Harry looked over at her without his glasses. "Ron got accepted to the program quickly- almost immediately… but he was waiting for you. I just gave him a push so he would stop waiting." Harry ran a hand into his hair tiredly as he put his glasses back on and clearly met her gaze. "It was selfish of me… but I couldn't watch him mourn your almost relationship anymore…" He shifted uncomfortably, his hands reaching for his cup of pepper up potion, holding it with white knuckled grip. "I just want Ron back. And you. And some bloody sense of _normal_. If it takes Ron shoving off to Romania for a year, sobeit."

For a moment, they sat in the silence. Harry took another sip of potion. Hermione saw the outline of faint scars on the back of his hand. _I must not tell lies._ She sighed. "What a mess… and you dealt with it all alone… again." She sighed harder, wrapping an arm around his shoulder, closing her eyes and resting her head on his.

"...are you still mad at me?" Harry asked tentatively.

Hermione shook her head no. He sighed in relief, shoulders relaxing, leaning into her. Harry was probably the only thing that had stopped Draco and Ron from destroying each other that night. She was grateful for that. "Why didn't you just tell me?" Hermione grumbled unhappily. She didn't enjoy her best friends keeping important information from her.

"I didn't know how!" Harry exclaimed, shaking his head no against hers. "Blimey, Hermione, how would you have reacted if I came up and told you what I'd done?"

"Not well." She admitted quietly. Hermione sighed, opening her eyes and sitting up, meeting Harry's apprehensive gaze. "I'm sorry you got stuck in the middle of that."

Harry shrugged, draining his cup. "I'm not." He made a face at the potion. "They really would have killed each other that night." Harry put the cup down on the file he'd been reading. "Besides, now I have an excuse to go stay with Charlie and Ron in Romania."

Hermione smiled at her friend, eyeing his pepper up potion. "Maybe you should sleep first?"

Harry's green eyes blinked in confusion at his empty cup. He gave a wide yawn before speaking, "...maybe. I'm not early sure the potion is working, anyway… or maybe I've been drinking too much of it." He yawned again, speaking through it. "Alright… I'll deal with this later." He picked up the mug and file he had been reading as they both stood and made their way back to the house.

"Harry," Hermione said softly, taking his elbow just before they entered the house.

"Hmm?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"... I'm glad you kept both of them safe." She squeezed his arm gently. "Thank you."

Harry smiled at her, nodding. She released his arm and he trudged up the stairs to his room for a nap. Hermione walked to the kitchen, smiling to herself as she made a cup of tea. She yawned widely as well. Maybe a nap would be a good idea. She took her tea to the living room and sat on the sofa. Crookshanks wasted little time in finding her lap. After a few sips of tea, she placed the cup down to stroke his fur, her head bobbing slightly. _Maybe I'll just close my eyes for a few minutes..._

_Please Review!_

_Author's Note: School year has started! Hoping to get to more regular updates soon. _


	22. Chapter 22: Projects

**Chapter 22: Projects**

Hermione woke groggily hours later. She stretched, dislodging her cat by accident. Crookshanks huffed, bushy tail straight up in the air as he walked away from her. Hermione muttered an apology while sitting up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. That had been a longer nap than she had planned. Mrs. Weasley had started placing a bowl of mints on the dining room table recently. Hermione unwrapped one and popped it in her mouth, crunching down on it as she made her way up the stairs. The sharp taste helped to shake away some of the sleepiness from her mind.

Draco opened his door when she started to walk past. "Hermione- good, you're finally awake. I want to show you something."

She gave him a quizzical look, but entered his room without argument. He calmly shut the door behind her. Draco started to say something quietly and rapidly, but her brain wasn't listening. Her eyes had fallen to his well-organized desk, and she walked towards it immediately. She picked up a small, dark green notebook, examining the cover. It had a picture of a calendar, imprinted upon it in silver ink.

Draco paused with whatever he had been saying, and his tone became cool. "Granger, have you listened to a bloody word I've said?"

Hermione looked up quickly, meeting his irritated gaze with some guilt. "...well, no. I only just woke up, and I'm…" she gestured to the desk with his calendar. "I'm a little distracted by all this…"

Draco rolled his eyes, but a smirk played at the edge of his lips. He shoved his hands in his pockets, rocking back on his heels slightly while nodding at the colorful files. "If that's distracting, then you should see what happens if you open that book and touch the files."

With his permission, the calendar fell open in her hand and she felt her eyes widen at his tidy, minuscule writing. Her fingers moved on their own to flip through the color coded files next to her. She casually tiptoed her fingers over the tabs, glancing back at his calendar occasionally. The calendar lit up on dates matching colors with the tab she touched.

"Syncing the calendar and the filing system… That's brilliant," Hermione muttered, fascinated. Why hadn't she thought of that? It was such a simple idea and at the same time, beautiful. Each file had information important for different people or meetings in his calendar. It kept the calendar easier to read, and less overwhelmed by colors. She flipped through the filing tabs quickly, grinning as different blocks on his calendar lit up and faded in her hand.

Hermione had never seen any other person use an organizational method that rivaled her own, until now. She began eyeing the text on the labels on each color coded file section more closely- seeing pages inside with highlighter marks that matched the color of the sections. She bit her lip slightly as she smiled- unable to hold back a soft appreciative laugh at his unexpected meticulousness- when Draco spoke softly and completely caught her off guard.

"...is this a turn on for you, Granger?"

She blushed darkly, whipping her hand away from the filing system as if she'd been shocked. "Don't be ridiculous," she snapped, suddenly embarrassed. Hermione whirled around to face him while snapping his calendar closed and holding it tightly with both hands in front of her chest.

She couldn't be turned on by this! "I just…"

Her voice died. Draco tilted his head slightly at her, waiting, then, he prompted, "Just what?"

"I just didn't expect this!" Hermione snapped, refusing to admit that she did find this kind of attractive. For a moment, she almost believed it. The slight flicker of his eyebrow told her Draco didn't for a second. Her fingers tightened on his calendar, throat tightening as he spoke, feeling strangely vulnerable.

"Damn… it is, isn't it?" Draco's expression had her feet rooted to the spot. He stood there, watching her, hands in his pockets, suddenly seductive- that tiny, knowing smirk, that confident body language. "Does it make you feel all hot and bothered-" Draco drawled playfully, stepping forward slightly, eyes locked on hers, "-to see someone else who uses colors and files and calendars and indexes?"

"You have indexes?" She breathed curiously, unable to keep herself from asking. Draco's eyes glimmered with amusement. Her mind softly cursed at her and she bit the inside of her cheek at his reaction. She _couldn't_ tell him she might be turned on by this! That would be too strange.

He was enjoying her discomfort way too much. His smirk deepened as he stepped forward- she felt her heart flutter in her chest. He took one hand from his pocket, reaching for his calendar. Her fingers slid away from the book, arms fell to her sides. He stepped into her and she found her hands lightly grasping the wooden edge behind her as she sat on the edge of his desk. Draco pressed the small, dark book down behind her. She swallowed hard as his legs pressed against hers, mouth going dry as his lips moved closer to speak softly in her ear.

"Just how much do you enjoy this, Granger?" His hot breath danced against her ear. She heard his fingers flip through the tabs of his files behind her- felt the tiny rush of air move with them. It made her shiver. He put his hand flat on the desk behind her, barely leaning into her. "Does it make your heart pound?" His lips softly met her neck, testing her rapid pulse. Her eyelids fluttered closed as his tongue traced the flesh, making her gasp quietly in pleasure.

"I'd say you find it incredibly attractive," Draco muttered against her skin. "Just imagine the way I'm categorizing _your_ body, witch…" Her stomach went hot at those words. His other hand found her wrist and began to lightly stroke the inside with her thumb. She held her breath, eyes snapping open when he brought her wrist up to his face.

Draco met her eyes with that playful glint before closing them and bringing her wrist to his lips. She couldn't stop the moan when his tongue touched a spot that made her toes curl. He smirked against her wrist before releasing it, reaching forward for her cheek and bringing her in for a gentle kiss. His forehead lightly touched hers when he pulled away.

"I know why you like it." Draco muttered, both hands moving to rest lightly on her upper thighs. His thumbs barely stroked back and forth. She still felt strangely exposed, mouth dry, unable to accept that she _did_ like it.

"Why?" She asked softly. Everything felt too hot. His hands felt like they were sending tingles of electricity in many welcome places. The look on Draco's face made her breath catch. Serious, but playful and full of a desire that she hadn't ever seen this pronounced. He tightened his hands on her thighs as he spoke, surprising her with his touch.

"It means I pay _attention_."

Then Draco pressed her thighs open and stepped between them, firmly catching her lips with his. Draco slid his hands to her hips and lifted her further up on to his desk. The movement knocked the filing system and it began to fall to the floor. She pulled away from his mouth and tried to catch it, but he caught her wrist. Hermione gasped as it hit the floor, watching the papers scatter, feeling guilty for knocking it over and making a mess.

The papers instantly floated up and sorted themselves back to their places, then they went still, sitting neatly in the box on the floor next to the desk. Not a single paper was out of place.

"A simple sorting spell," Draco said quietly, twisting a stand of her hair around his finger, the other hand squeezing her wrist gently. "You like it?"

"Yes." Hell, she _really _did. Hermione took him by the collar and pulled him back into her, wrapping one leg around him as a hand went to his chest. Why was it so sexy that he thought things through? Draco's heart hammered under her fingertips.

He groaned against her lips, reaching one hand down to her thigh, pulling her harder against him, the other hand getting slightly tangled in her hair. Hermione squeezed him between her legs and he shuddered, breaking the kiss. Draco moved both hands to her waist, under her shirt, fingers sliding along her sides and back.

"Lock the door." Draco muttered against her temple, kissing softly. Hermione didn't hesitate as she drew her wand, flicking it silently at the door. Draco surprised her as he lightly took her wand in hand to place at her side on the desk. Then he was lifting off her shirt.

Hermione felt her heart in her throat as he put her shirt down next to her wand. His hands slid all the way up and all the way down her back. She shivered again, then his fingertips paused on the clasp of her bra. Draco raised an eyebrow in wordless question. Hermione tensed, uncertain, biting her lip. He nodded, removing his hands from her bra.

Draco's fingers went to her hands and brought them up to the buttons of his shirt. Hermione undid each one slowly, one hand of Draco's fingers lightly running in her hair as she did so. He took the edges and slid out of it, then she tugged up his undershirt and he pulled it off.

She ran her hands along his bare chest as he leaned in to kiss her again. His skin was so warm. His heartbeat was even stronger now that their shirts were gone. She wrapped both legs around him and slid her arms around his neck, kissing him softly. Hermione felt lightheaded when his tongue touched hers, this time. It was a slower exploration. Deliberate. Disorienting. She felt dizzy. He withdrew very slowly, pressing his lips to her cheek.

His hand caught her butt and gave a firm, purposeful squeeze. She squeaked in surprise while tightening her legs around him, surprised that she liked the feeling of his hand there. Draco pulled her into his body with both hands and lifted her from the desk, walking around it to sit in his chair so she straddled him. She unwound her legs from his body to set them on either side of him as Draco ran his hands along her sides, his silver eyes locked on hers. Hermione liked the feeling of him under her.

He gave her a small, wicked grin while his hands continued to stroke her sides. "It _might _be a bit of a turn on for me, having you like this…" he placed a light kiss on her rib, "...at _my_ desk…"

She suddenly felt a rush of desire to take control of this situation. "Might?" She purred softly, reaching to grasp his shoulders and pull him up. He grinned, about to speak when she reached her hands behind her back. Draco's eyes widened and his hands went still.

Hermione unclasped her bra, sliding out of it and letting it fall to the floor. Draco held her eyes unwaveringly, his playful grin sliding away, cheeks turning pink, breathing going shallow. He swallowed hard. Her heart pounded in her chest- but she enjoyed this reaction.

"You'll be the death of me, Gryffindor." Draco's voice was strained. He licked his lips as he sat up under her. "Not a hint, not a bloody warning…" One hand reached around her back to support her, and the other slid up to caress her breast, bringing his lips closer to her skin. She felt goosebumps as his voice spoke in a low whisper. "You just… just like that…"

Hermione closed her eyes, grateful for the hand holding her from behind as his mouth and tongue began to experiment with her body. She ran her hands into his hair, nails digging in and back arching slightly as he found the things she liked. Every one he found made her suck in a sharp breath of air in pleasure.

Draco withdrew, resting his head between her breasts, taking a few hard breaths. His hands fell to her hips, fingers digging in slightly. Hermione felt her heart hammering from fingers to toes. She ran her fingers through his hair, nails along his scalp, her entire body tingling.

"I want you." Draco spoke- his voice rough, fingers digging into her as he continued. "If you say yes, I'll take you, right here, on this desk, right now." When his eyes met hers- she could see he was absolutely serious. The intensity in his gaze startled her.

Hermione hesitated, fingers pausing against his scalp. She bit her lip. He reached a hand up and took one of hers, sitting back, kissing her wrist before lightly holding her hand. "If you say no, I'll wait… But I've _got_ to ask. Yes or no?"

Hermione still wasn't sure. She thought she would be, but she wasn't. "I… I don't know."

"Then that's a no." Draco didn't seem affected by her rejection. He didn't hesitate to slide his hands back around her body, whispering, "Merlin, you're beautiful, Hermione."

Then his lips were exploring her body again and she was melting from his touch. This time when he pressed his head to her chest, she was trembling. Even the touch of his hair on her skin made her shiver. Hermione exhaled shakily, rethinking her answer to his question.

A knock on the door made them both jump. Draco sat up quickly. He cleared his throat softly, speaking calmly. "Yes?"

"The door is locked." Mrs. Weasley. Why was she interrupting? "I have a letter for you."

Draco spoke while the next several things happened. "Is it urgent? I was in the middle of something." Draco moved Hermione slightly to take his wand from his pocket carefully and silently flick it. Their clothes silently moved to redress them both. Hermione stood up off of him.

"Well, I am sorry to interrupt," Mrs. Weasley sounded it, too. A second desk appeared silently as the witch spoke, covered in books, and a second chair floated to the floor. "Narcissa did warn me that you don't enjoy interruptions." Draco's filing box opened, the blue folder floating out, calendar flipping open, and another book summoning open on his own desk. Draco silently nodded at the new desk, motioning for Hermione to go there. She sat down, looking down at the open book on the desk as she faced the window. "...but I think this letter is from your mother. I thought you'd want it straight away."

"Of course, thank you." Draco flicked his wand at the door and it unlocked. He placed down his wand and stood as Molly entered. Hermione pressed one hand to the book, another into her hair, staring at the text without seeing it. She turned the page, under to believe what Molly would have walked in on if they hadn't locked the door!

"...Thank you." Draco spoke quietly as he took the letter.

"What are you kids working on?" Molly asked curiously.

"Hermione is helping me research a project for the families of those that…" Draco paused. "...were impacted by the war."

With a jolt, Hermione realized she was reading a book on forming a small business in the wizarding world- similar to a non profit in the Muggle world. Her eyes widened and she began to read more earnestly, slowly sitting up straighter in the chair.

"...I understand why you wouldn't want to be interrupted." Molly sniffed, Hermione thought she might be tearing up. "Well… I won't keep you. Do let Arthur know if you need any other hands. He might know something, or someone."

"I'll remember that." Draco said quietly. "Thank you."

Molly left and Hermione slowly turned to stare at Draco. He held the letter tightly in his hand, unopened, staring at the text. "Is this what you wanted to show me?" Hermione asked quietly, gesturing to the books on the desk.

Draco tore his eyes from the letter to look over at her and give a small nod. "...I'll tell you more about it later. Right now, I'd like to read this… in private, if you don't mind."

Hermione nodded, but glanced at the book she'd begun to read. "Can I… Could I take this?"

"For a bit of light reading?" Draco scoffed with a playful smirk- but something had changed in his eyes. Was he anxious? He gave her a casual wave, nodding, "It's fine, take it if you want. I'll tell you more about the project later."

"...What's wrong?" Hermione asked quietly, recognizing the strained look in his eyes.

Draco was silent for a long moment, then he slowly released the letter onto his desk, staring at it for a moment. He exhaled hard, looking back to her. "It's not from my Mother. It's from my Father." He fell silent again, pursing his lips, frowning. His hand unconsciously reached for his left arm, grasping where the mark had once branded his body. Hermione stood slowly, reaching a hand for his elbow. He jumped when she touched him, releasing his arm quickly and meeting her gaze. "I'm fine," Draco snapped irritably, shrugging her arm off. "Just, go. I'll tell you more about the project later. I need to read this."

Hermione wasn't going to argue with him, not when she could see that merely knowing his Father had written was putting Draco on edge. She turned, taking the book in both hands and wrapping her arms around it, holding it tightly against her chest. Draco didn't say another word as she left, and he slowly sat down at his desk. She shut the door silently.

What could potentially be in that letter to make Draco tense? Why had he closed off like that?


End file.
